All The Right Hormones,All The Wrong Times
by Silver Eternity
Summary: Mayuri and his experiments! When will he ever learn? With Ichigo as a hybrid and Grimmjow's nature complementing Ichigo's new one,what sort of trouble will get stirred up by the Arrancar and Viziard?
1. And so it begins

Chapter 1 - How It All Started

Sitting on a rooftop and looking out over the (for once) quiet town,a slim orange-haired figure was watching the moon. He rubbed his hands over his bare arms,not really cold but still slightly uncomfortable from his experience earlier. Damn,Mayuri was fucking creepy. Still,he couldn't help but wonder if that survey or whatever would come back to bite him in the ass later. He had a feeling it might. No matter now,though,he thought to himself as he stood, brushing grit from the roof tiles off his jeans. The poor little death berry was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he never noticed the small mechanical mosquito that landed on the back of his neck,bit him,and then disappeared. The next morning Ichigo woke up feeling a bit....off. His head was really itchy for some reason,and his tailbone felt funny. Shrugging it off,he went to take his morning shower. Over the next few days,strange things began to happen to Ichigo. His reaction time suddenly increased until he had reflexes that matched Yoruichi. He began to prefer baths over showers,which was truly weird because he'd been paranoid about baths ever since his mother died by the river. And worst of all,everything _itched_. His shoulders,his back, behind his ears,his scalp,his spine,his legs and feet. Often he found himself rubbing up against doorways,trees,and even sometimes his friends to try and relieve the frustrating sensation. In addition,he was making strange sounds every so often too,usually when he was at his most relaxed or surprised.

For example,Chad had been scratching his hair and the back of his neck (he had told his friends about the awful itching,and they had all pitched in to scratch him every so often) when he had began to hum low in his throat,a deep thrumming that was almost a purr. And when Keigo had finally caught him off guard,he'd _hissed_ at him furiously,eyes narrowing. He had no idea what was happening,or why he was starting to act almost catlike,but he figured it was no big deal. Hell,Grimmjow was a panther,and he got along fine,didn't he? Actually,now that he thought about it......he never saw Grimmjow unless the blunet hunted him down to battle. How did the man act in day-to-day life? Sitting on the roof of his school and pondering this,Ichigo didn't notice the oppressive spirit pressure bearing down on him until a hard chest was right up against his back,a large,calloused hand around his throat and it's pair digging strong fingers into his abdomen. "Getting rusty,are we shinigami? And here I thought ya were improvin'. So it was luck ya found me before,not yer ability to find my spirit pressure gettin' better." Feeling a light shiver run through his body,Ichigo responded dully,"I was busy with more important shit than fighting you,Grimmjow. Besides,I'm in my human body. You wouldn't be cowardly enough to attack me in this annoyingly weak shell,would you? I can't even shunpo when I'm in it."

Abruptly the grip on his neck lessened,and he felt the deep voice rumble through the chest against his back as the panther Espada growled. "Ya have a human body? Ya mean yer still _alive_?" Tilting back his head,Ichigo frowned at him. "Yeah. Didn't you notice how I have to take care of my body after I've left it?" Grimmjow frowned right back,oceanic eyes calculating. "No. I just assumed ya had one a them 'gigai' things that all the rest of the Soul Reapers got. Not a living human body. Shit,kid...." releasing him completely,the older male instead opted to sit next to him. "How old are ya,anway?" Ichigo grunted. "Sixteen. Why?" Grimmjow blew out a breath,shoulders slumping. "Well _fuck_. I always assumed ya were closer to my age,like around four hundred or so,but yer just a _kid_ still. God DAMN it, shinigami.....now how the hell am I supposed to kill ya? It's like killin a cub that just barely opened it's eyes!" Ichigo was quiet,not looking at Grimmjow,still staring out over the city. "There are humans who are monster enough to do that,Grimmjow. I've seen them. Surely a warmonger like you can do worse." The Sexta grimaced,scooting closer to the berry so their hips touched lightly. "Hell,kid,even monsters can feel guilt. Even Hollows can have families. I may not be a human,but I have morals too." Ichigo frowned,eyes tracing the skyline. "I never said you were a monster,Grimmjow. Actually,I think my race is more barbaric than yours. We're the monsters."

Unused to this inactivity around his favorite opponent,Grimmjow shifted again,though still listening intently. Information gathering wasn't his forte,but fuck it,if he could find the Strawberry's weakness just by listening it'd be worth it. Plus he couldn't fight him until he got out of that useless flesh bag of a body or it'd be worthless. He could act for that long,right? Knowing the kid would clam up if not encouraged,he prodded gruffly,"And how the fuck does that work?" The teen sighed,rubbing at his shoulders. He'd found that rubbing soothed the itch more than scratching did,though both felt damn good. "At least hollows devour souls for a good reason. They gotta if they want to survive. But humans,humans are a whole other kind of fucked. You guys are born to kill. We get molded into soldiers,killers with shattered minds and broken bodies. Your kind fights to survive. My kind starts wars for fun. You keep outsiders out of your battles. Humans- and soul reapers too -drag in people that have no bearing on the situation just to fuck with the mind of an opponent." Standing up,Ichigo growled under his breath,rubbing the outsides of his thighs and hips furiously. "Good god,this itching is driving me NUTS!! Fucking hell,it's like I bathed in goddamned itching powder or something- _arrghhh!_" Desperate for some relief from the steadily worsening sensation,the boy threw himself down on the rough rooftop and squirmed around on his back,arching and twisting so multiple spots were scratched at once.(The boy had no idea that,at that moment,he looked just like a housecat scratching itself.)

After a minute or two of frantic wriggling,Ichigo laid flat and blinked up at Grimmjow, who was standing over him with an eyebrow raised. The orange-haired teen just grunted, "What, I suppose _you_ never get so itchy all over you can't stand it anymore?" The blunet smirked. "Actually,I do. It comes from having fur encased in armor,Berryhead. What's your excuse?" The teen just closed his eyes and groaned. "I don't know! That's what's more important than fighting you- it's not just the itch,I've been acting really weird all week! Actually.....this all started after I did that damned survey for the Research and Development Bureau. And now I think I might know where to get some answers!" Pulling out a small phone-like device,the boy headed for the door that would take him back to the ground. "I'll see you around Grimmjow,I promise I'll fight you next time,with everything I can pull out. But I gotta find out what the hell R and D has done to me first. I mean,for all I know,they turned me into a fucking tabby on the inside or something....." Grimmjow was disappointed he wasn't getting his fight _now_,after all,he deserved a reward for not beating the shit out of the helpless shinigami,but the kid had a point. If they'd done something to him,the effects could possibly rub off on Grimmjow and that wouldn't be good. "Fine. But you better make it worth my coming all the way from Los Noches next time,cub." Ignoring Ichigo's angry cry at the jab,the teal-haired male opened a garganta and went through,musing that this was probably his weirdest visit to the human world yet.

Three days,two explosions,and one near-murder later,Ichigo had all the details and had found out why everything had been so weird. Apparently a couple of up-and-comings in Research and Development had been a bit too eager to please and had conducted an illegal experiment using the surveys- they had concocted some sort of liquid that made a person a hybrid,and what kind of hybrid they were depended on what they had said their favorite animal was. Ichigo was -surprise surprise- a Neko hybrid. Specifically,a Cheetah-Panther crossbreed hybrid. The injection was designed to wear off after a few days and for most of the affected people it had. It turned out,however,that people with uncontrolled or extremely high spirit energy had an adverse reaction to the experimental liquid- meaning the hybridism would _not_ go away. It appeared to be permanent,though tests were still being run. So it seemed that Ichigo would be stuck with the light dusting of fur over his skin,the large ears perched atop his head, the sharp,thick claws,and the long,supple tail. Yoruichi,in this case,had been begged to come back to the soul society temporarily- as the only known shape-shifter,she was the only one able to instruct the now-permanent hybrids on controlling their forms and attributes. The first time Ichigo was able to go fully human again,he had nearly cried with joy. The fur on his soul body being trapped in his living body had been what caused the horrendous itching,and with it retracted the itching went away.

Ichigo being a Vizard,his animal form was different than most other hybrids. Unlike the others,he had bone armor in places; namely,over his shoulders,along his spine,and over his tail. There was also a rather large section spanning his forehead,shaped suspiciously like a crown with five arrow-shaped points,which he suspected his Hollow of deliberately shaping that way. Said hollow was always calling him 'King' after all. He also had a mane of fur that was a lot like his hair,spiking out so tall and sharp it was almost needle-like. His size was strange,instead of being the typical size of a panther _or_ a cheetah,he was almost three times larger- the size of a moose. He was enormous. It was suspected that his massive store of reiatsu had something to do with that,but nobody knew for sure. It turned out that Kenpatchi had done the survey also, at the behest of Yachiru,and was thoroughly enjoying his new abilities as a vicious wolf the size of a bull moose,which was bigger (but only slightly) than Ichigo. The two were sitting side-by-side at a training ground,having already beaten the shit out of each other and relaxing in the aftermath. Both having taken on habits connected to their animals,licking,nosing,and nuzzling was now ignored as normal,as were cuddling,stalking,taking naps at odd hours (almost always in full sunlight),and suddenly losing interest in an activity,though the last happened very rarely. Noises were also ignored.

Stretched out in a patch of sun,his tail flicking lazily,Ichigo purred softly. Fighting Kenpatchi was like jacking off,but less messy and slightly more satisfying. Kenpatchi was growling low in his throat as well,the dog version of a purr,and lazily he raised his head to rest his chin between the berry's shoulder blades. The orange-haired teen just purred more and rested his tail against Kenpatchi's cheek. With his nose so close to the furry appendage,the wolf-hybrid couldn't help but inhale the scent of Ichigo,and it was then he noticed something about it was....off. It was less offensive than usual. Typically,the dog in Kenpatchi disliked the cat in Ichigo and that made his scent just slightly offensive,not enough to really be bothersome but enough to be noticed. Now that offensive quality was gone; instead the boy smelled..... rather.....alluring. His contented rumble changed to a worried one,and he levered himself off Ichigo's back. Because the females were faster,stronger,and more vicious,Kenpatchi had preferred and been injected with female hybrid liquid. Naturally,this did not make him female aside from his wolf form,but he _had_ been warned that there could be some major effects from it. Like....mating season. Heat. Oh,fuck.

Hearing the worry,the Death Berry rose to all fours and turned to Kenpatchi. "What's wrong?" Kenpatchi wasn't gay. No,he wasn't even straight. He was asexual. But...._but_....he appreciated strength. And Ichigo had that in spades. Ichigo had beaten Kenpatchi,_dominated_ him many times since he came to Soul Society two weeks ago to learn to control his hybridization. So,while he still had some mind left,Kenpatchi nuzzled Ichigo's cheek and spoke. "They warned of some side effects,and it looks like I'm going into heat. I'm a FEMALE wolf, so I'll probably be looking for a male,and knowing my nature,it'll be one stronger than me. So far the only two that come to mind are the Old Man,who I wouldn't touch in a million years, and.....you. I don't know which way you swing,and frankly I don't care,but if you aren't looking to fuck me into the ground for the next month,you might wanna keep away from me until I get my mind back." Ichigo rose to his feet,looking at the larger male still on the ground,who couldn't help himself and rolled onto his back,tilting his head further to expose his throat and chest submissively. "I don't really swing either way,but.....fuck,it's tempting. Your scent is fucking incredible. But I don't do heat season screws,Kenpatchi,and neither do you. Wolves take mates for life,and so do I. It's tempting,but I'd rather actually consider it first." The older whimpered,already feeling the heat kick in with the dominant male so near,but rolled to all fours and got to his feet with a nod.

While Kenpatchi went to go lock himself up in Squad Four for the next month (he figured it was safe there,all the males were pansies and the two strong females weren't what he was looking for) Ichigo was heading back to the human world. He had firmly sealed away his animal form,because he could _still_ smell Kenpatchi's heat and good god it was making him horny,and a highly aroused hybrid can do some very stupid,dangerous things. He stretched as he walked across the sky,one of his natural abilities as a soul reaper that he usually forgot about when not fighting,and suddenly felt familiar spirit pressure burst somewhere to his right. Damn it all,he was too horny to go into a fight,but shit.....he had promised Grimmjow. With a slight sigh, the death god made a quick turn and flash stepped toward the blunet's skyrocketing reiatsu. Skidding to a stop in front of the older male,he wrinkled his nose. "Hell,Grimmjow,you don't have to jack it up so high. I can sense you the second you exit Hueco Mundo." The panther Arrancar just grinned at him. "Well,I figured you'd lost your edge in sensing me so I thought I make it easier. Hey,shinigami....." the grin faded as cyan eyes narrowed in concentration, "something in your scent's weird. You don't smell like normal. What's up?" Raking through his hair wth his hands,Ichigo grunted his answer irritably. He should've known Grimmjow would be able to smell his arousal. "A hybrid went into heat today,and his sights were set on me. You can probably smell him on me,and his scent drove me crazy too. I'm still up to fight if you are though,so don't worry."

Grimmjow shifted,suddenly looking really uncomfortable. "Actually,now that you mention it,the smell is kinda getting to me,too. Uhm....maybe we oughta go take care of things and decide on getting a rain check for this fight?" Ichigo blinked,surprised,but then shrugged. "Okay. Go find a wench and do your thing. Later,Grimmjow." The Espada knew but didn't care that is was weird for the Berry to turn down a fight(it was even weirder for GRIMMJOW to turn one down),but that _scent_,it was like fucking ecstasy! Most powerful aphrodisiac _ever_. He couldn't fight for shit with a hard on like this one. So both retreated to take care of their 'problems',Grimmjow with a random wench and Ichigo with a cold shower. Three days later found Grimmjow back to cash in that rain check,but when he found the berry he really got an eyeful. "Holy shit,kid,you mean that orange hair of yours is really_ natural_?! God damn!" Ichigo,who was just stepping out of the shower,only sighed and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Honestly Grimmjow,you have the _worst_ timing. Gimme a couple minutes to dry and dress and I'll meet you outside." Leering,Grimmjow yanked the towel away before sidling up on the younger man's left and poking his lower stomach. "Hell no,this is way more interestin'! Is that redheaded shinigami dog a natural too? I mean,shit,I'm a natural blue,but I didn't know non-hollows could be naturally such vibrant colors!!" The teen only rolled his eyes, maneuvering around Grimmjow with practiced ease to enter his bedroom. "Yes, Renji's also a natural. And you're not the first to assume I bleach,probably won't be the last either. The other guys at school-"

He had to cut himself off when,in the middle of pulling on a pair of pants, Grimmjow tackled him to the bed. "Bleach? What the fuck's that,the extra quality in your scent?" Realizing that he was being sniffed experimentally,Ichigo groaned and pushed the larger man off him before pulling his jeans up and zipping them. "I don't _use_ bleach, Grimmjow,so whatever odd you smell on me it's natural too. Or it's just the soap I use in the shower. By Hades,you're worse than those guys I had so much trouble with back in my first year!" His ingrained curious nature coming to the fore and overwhelming his fighting urges,Grimmjow stayed on the bed when Ichigo rolled off it,just watching as the Vizard searched through the clothing scattered around his room for a clean shirt,checking a few and grimacing at the sour sweat smell. Laying on his belly and propping his chin on his folded arms,Grimmjow inquired,"And why wouldn't I be worse than a little pack of scrawny humans?" His head popping out of the collar of the skintight black shirt he'd found,Ichigo snorted. "They thought I was some lame-ass poser,trying to be tough by dying my hair,and wouldn't leave me alone about it. And they weren't just a pack either. A pack is maybe three,four members,but this was a gang,a pride. There were maybe twenty of them. Persistent assholes,too." Tossing dirty clothes in the basket as he searched for his badge,Ichigo growled under his breath at the memory. "They started showing up in sixes and sevens,three to tire me out,two or three to hold my arms,and one to beat the fuck outta me."

From the bed,Grimmjow's angry growl joined Ichigo's as an undertone in the room. Weakling humans! Too weak to fight their own battles so they gang up on a single enemy. Pathetic. Worse,they went after _his_ prey! Not noticing the undercurrent of growling because he'd gotten used to it from hanging around Kenpatchi so much,Ichigo continued. "In the school showers after gym one day I was too tired to wait until everyone else finished so I washed with the rest of the guys. It was a stupid move- the reason I always waited was because they'd make a big deal,and that's exactly what they did. They jeered and they laughed and they made crude jokes and the most annoying part is they wouldn't stop _touching_ me. Poking,prodding, dragging me this way and that so everybody could stare at my crotch. Even when I'm fighting,I don't like getting physically touched. I didn't then and I don't now. The beatings got worse after that anyway,'cuz they started ganging up on me in tens every couple of days- god DAMN it, where the fuck is that soul badge?! I can't get out of my body without it. Grimmjow,have you seen a wierd little wood thing shaped like a shinigami company badge anywhere?" Grimmjow, who had discovered it in the sheets nearly five minutes earlier because it jabbed against his hipbone when he shifted,used his elbow the shove said badge further under his chest. "Nope. But cub,if they were going after you because they thought you bleached your hair,then why did it get worse when they found out you don't?"

Hands gripping his hair,making it spike out even more than usual between his fingers from the pressure,the teen hissed angrily. "The _bastards_ decided it was necessary to keep me for getting ideas,to keep me _in line_ so I didn't try to get revenge on them. Fucking morons thought I actually cared for shit like that. Ha!" A cruel smile,one that looked decidedly out of place,curled Ichigo's lips. "And I didn't give a shit,until they started ganging up on me in tens. Then,though,I got pissed. Real pissed. You know how we've fought like animals,Grimmjow? Going at each other again and again,trying to murder each other,until we couldn't even stand? The fighting we've done so far was _nothing_ compared to what I let loose that day." Thoroughly intrigued- it wasn't just information gathering or acting now,Grimmjow was actually _insanely_ interested,his catlike nature coming to the fore -the blunet pushed himself up on the bed to watch his favorite prey better. "You're shitting me. Then why the _fuck_ don't you fight me like that?!" The smaller male just grinned wider and turned so he was facing Grimmjow. "You are a whole other level. I can't fight you like that. It would be insulting." The arrancar tilted his head. Insulting? What the fuck? "Set up the situation for me. I'm not getting how it would be an insult. Enlighten me."

Pulling up a chair,Ichigo took a seat and did as asked. "It was nearly dark out,and the streetlights weren't on yet. Shadows everywhere. I was backed up to a wall in a deserted back lot- it was small,maybe twenty-five feet wide either way. Twenty of the gang's top fighters were in front of me,spread in fan formation to block any escape route 'cuz back then I was known for a hit-and-run tactic. Some had weapons,some didn't. I remember a guy near the front had a set of brass knuckles on,big things with claws attached. Bagnahks,I think they're called; they work like a tiger's claws." He put one hand on top of the other to demonstrate, fingers of his top hand curling like claws from the base knuckles of the hand beneath. Oceanic eyes wide at the thought,Grimmjow nodded and motioned for the Death Berry to continue. "As they were closing in,I was running though ways to disarm them and get away,thinking more for flight than fight,y'know? My dad's a doctor,so whenever I roughed someone up and he had to fix them I always got the rough end of his foot planted in my gut or face,until I got old enough to dodge him. I usually didn't want to deal with him so I fought as little as possible. But,as I watched the same bastard who _started_ all that shit inch closer,right at the front,something in my head just.....clicked."

The vicious grin coming back,Ichigo used one long finger to point to his temple,making a _clik_ sound with his tongue just as he took the finger away again. "And this click,it made things more....more clear,I guess,almost like I'd been looking through foggy glasses and I'd just wiped 'em off. See,_I_ was the one getting my ass beat every few days. _I_ was the one my dad was consantly patching up. _I_ was the one who was stronger,so why the fuck was I just taking it? My dad was gonna go nuts either way,no matter what I did,so screw it. I may as well be the one he's _not_ fixing- at least I could dodge his "Almighty Kick of Fatherly Love and Healing" better. And this is the best part,too-" Leaning in,Ichigo lowered his voice and a low purr accented his next sentence. "_They never saw it coming_. One second I'm backed into a wall, looking like a little cornered mouse,and the next.....the next I'm a fucking deadly _beast_,all fists and teeth and furious roaring as they go flying left and right. Then I threw the one near the front into a wall and got my hands on the bagnahks." Crouched on the bed comfortably like the cat he was,Grimmjow felt his body shiver in pleasure. His little Ichi-cub,transformed into a feral beast,and then being gifted with _claws_? He could see it so clearly. It was beautiful. "Of course,by that point I'd lost all sense of right,wrong,or morality. The only thing I knew anymore was surviving. Winning."

Ichigo himself felt odd,recounting this. Usually thinking about it made him sick,the blood on his hands,the lives weighing on his soul,the guilt. Not this time. Now he felt only pride,and triumph. Perhaps because it was Grimmjow he was telling. One beast to another, not a tale of horror,but one of victory,a grand hunt. A smile again touched his lips as he continued. "I wanted to hurt them. Make them pay in blood for every punch,every kick,every broken bone and blood-splattered walk home,every concussion. I wanted to see them writhe in agony. I wasn't exactly thinking,but I somehow managed to get the bagnahks on my hands. Comfortably,so I could use them without hurting myself. They immediately felt like extensions of my own hand,like they somehow belonged there. And then I completely let go." The orange-headed teen paused then,leaving Grimmjow quivering with anticipation. "Well,Ichigo? what did you do?" The tremor of excitement was impossible to hide,not that Grimmjow tried anyway. The smaller male sighed,hands rubbing up and down his arms. "It gets fuzzy after that. Broken up. I remember bits and pieces only. Clawing someone's guts out as they screamed..... abandoning one kill to pounce on a fleeing man.....whirling through a crowd like some kind of demonic top,slashing everything within reach.....I came to around an hour later,surrounded by dead bodies."

The smile returned,and Grimmjow couldn't help shivering again. The aftermath was sure to reveal what he'd done while gone to that instinctual place only the best fighters went. "I was covered in blood. From every strand of hair to each millimeter of skin,I was absolutely soaked in it. It was still warm,dripping from my hair and the tips of the claws. The bodies around me were massacred. I'd obviously taken my time with them,trying out different killing and torture methods- one I'd hung by a rope made from his own intestines,another had been slowly sliced to peices,finger by finger and limb by limb,using some sharp wire I'd found. I still have scars from where the wire sliced me. Yet other bodies were shredded,ripped into a thousand tiny strips of flesh and bone. A few were decapitated,and one had bite marks on his neck and wrists,where the largest and most important veins are. I'd even bitten through his femoral artery. Him I had killed last,I knew,because my mouth was still full of hot blood,tasting not of copper and metal but rain and grass and nature. And,fully aware,I swallowed it." Knowing that the good part was over now,Grimmjow gave a final pleasure-filled shudder and relaxed,leaning back on his haunches. He liked the image Ichigo had painted for him. Liked it a bit _too_ much,if the mess in his boxers was any indication. "And after that,cub?" Ichigo leaned back in his chair,not unlike Grimmjow in his relaxing,as his tone lost the animated "storyteller" vibe and took on a bored one.

"Oh,I heard people coming to investigate and got the fuck outta there. I dived in the river to wash all the blood off,ditched my bloodstained clothes- burned 'em,actually -and ran home. I told my dad the gang had gotten me again,which the bruises and broken ribs helped convince him of,and said they'd stolen and destroyed my clothes to humiliate me. There was a serial murderer that got caught a few weeks later that took the rap for me,and I've been careful to behave ever since. The thing I think I like best,though....." Standing,the teen stretched,his tone once more changing to captivate the Espada's attention,"Is probably that they never managed to get rid of the bloodstains in that back lot. These days it's rumored that if you go down there,the killer is there yet,hiding in the darkness,waiting for another victim to come along with claws ready to slice and dice,a razor wire in one hand and a heavy pipe in the other." Walking over to his desk,the boy crouched down and started running one hand along the underside,grunting as he did,"I've hidden down that alley once or twice for the fuck of it,holding a pipe and wire to scare the shit outta the gangs that have considered using it for a meeting place or whatever. I mean,this is gonna sound funny but it's _my_ killing ground there,where I made my first kill and had my first taste of true blood. I get kinda territorial about it,and whenever I go visit I make sure to wear......." a click came from somewhere under the desk, then a thump,"these."

As the slender teen brought his hand out from under the desk,Grimmjow's entire body tensed all over again. It wasn't.....? It was! There,in his hand,were two heavy brass knuckles, but with large,sythelike claws attatched to them. There was also a handguard, which strapped on above the thumb,and padding for the person's fingers. Along the blades,which he could tell were razor sharp,traces of long-dried blood,almost black in color,lingered. Unable to help himself or his instincts,Grimmjow burst out purring so hard it made the whole bed shake,leaping to his feet and pressing into Ichigo's side. "Your claws," he whispered,almost reverently,his hands caressing the gleaming metal around the teen's smaller ones,"they're beautiful. Let me see you wear them." Not surprised at the request,though certainly with the pleading tone it was spoken in,Ichigo complied. He could smell the cum on Grimmjow and knew how much the arrancar got off on this,which was why he'd shown him these in the first place. He didn't know _why_ exactly he wanted to make Grimmjow pleased,just that he did. Grimmjow watched avidly as Ichigo flexed his fingers,the claws flexing with him,and _saw_ the change start stealing over Ichigo. Muscles relaxed,spine curved,wieght shifted,and then the Death Berry (how appropriate that nickname was now) leapt onto his desk,balancing on the balls of his feet and looking exactly like one big cat. Not bored but not looking for trouble,he was just on alert, surveying his domain.

Just then Ichigo blinked,and turned human again all at once,removing the claws and carefully putting them away. Climbing out from under the desk,the boy yawned and gave Grimmjow an absent-minded hip nudge towards the open window. "Look, Grimmjow,those memories tire me out and it's late. I can't find my badge so I can't fight you,and I have school in the morning anyway. Come back tomorrow or the day after,okay?" Grimmjow,deciding that fighting a battle with creamed boxers was uncomfortable and humiliating,and he wanted a nap anyway,hopped onto the windowsill before pausing there,turning to look at Ichigo and tilting his head. "Hey,berry.....maybe sometime I can come...just to talk?" On all fours in his bed now, the teen stretched out and grinned. "Sure. You're easy to talk to anyway,and humans like me get tired of fighting eventually. Maybe after our next fight we can just talk like this. How's that sound?" Lowering his head to get a better look at the Berry's face,and seeing he was entirely serious,Grimmjow smiled a little bit. "Yeah. Sounds good,cub." Then he left,jumping into a garganta he had opened right outside the window. What neither man noticed was that,for most of the past ten minutes or so,the two had been unconsciously treating each other like a comrade, the body language likened to that between two tom cats that shared territory.

A/N Okay,It's off to a fine start,no? I know,I know,Hybrid Ichi is prety popular and all,but he's usually a Viziard/hollow hybrid so I put on my own personal spin! In addition,I can blame all his misfortunes on Mayuri,whom I absolutely despise,so it's all good! I'll be posting chapters two and three shortly- chapter 2 is already done,and chapter 3 will be done in a few weeks or less! Yays for me!


	2. Things are progressing

CHAPTER 2

The next few days were hard for Ichigo. He didn't know why,but he had abruptly developed insomnia. He also had started to notice the scents of all those around him more,and it had come to his attention that,the moment he entered a room,the arousal of every girl and almost all the boys suddenly spiked and stayed spiked until he left. He didn't understand it. What Ichigo was unaware of was that mating season,for both panther and cheetah males,had just begun. This was the time of year females would typically go into heat,and males prepared by sending out more hormones,mixed with pheromones, to attract potential mates. They also began to look more naturally attractive to potential mates,and this the orange-haired teen was also unaware of. He had no idea that he had gained a predatory look,his movements graceful and lithe and _powerful_,or that he exuded absolute dominance and confidence. After school,Ichigo usually wandered over to a park,climbed into a tree,and napped. As a cat hyrbid,he needed more sleep these days and the insomnia was taking a heavy and terrible toll. He was in the middle of this nap when heavy spiritual pressure suddenly rolled over him,and he made an angry cat noise different from a hiss or growl at being woken up. His eyes glowing golden with fury,he slammed the badge to his chest and raced towards it,leaving his body in the tree as ears and tail popped into existence,too angry to keep them in. He was,in fact,so totally infuriated he couldn't keep human form; without thinking he let go of his human body and never broke his stride,powerful legs propelling him in great leaps across the rooftops as he roared his displeasure to the sky.

When Ulquiorra had been ordered into the human realm with Luppi for a survelliance mission,the last thing he had thought would occur was what did- Luppi was pounced on and mauled by a massive streak of orange,dead within seconds and torn to pieces,a blood-drenched maw of hollowlike teeth ripping what was left apart with a few more second's time. Having taken the time to tear Luppi's throat out and chew thoroughly on the bones and flesh before it dissolved,the beast was still long enough for Ulquiorra to get a decent look at it. It was definitely a cat of some sort,what breed or variety he did not know,but blue-black splotches decorated it's fur and tail,the tip of which was solid blue-black color and for some reason slightly wider than the rest of the tail. The strangest part was probably that it had definitive Hollow traits,but had distinctly shinigami reiatsu. The abnormally large,sharp teeth,the plate armour,and reddish-black markings on it's face that wrapped around beneath it's eyes from the forehead as well as it's upper chest,were all things one might see on an Adjucas or Vasto Lorde hollow,and yet......that resiatsu,it was incredibly strong and _reeked_ of shinigami,almost a palpable wave of it. Then it turned on Ulquiorra,mouth open and ready,eyes sharp and strangely intellegent. Ulquiorra tensed a miniscule amount,ready to defend himself,but after looking him over and sniffing a bit curiously,the large cat seemed to decide he wasn't worth the time and abruptly plopped down on the roof they stood on,belly down,and curled up peacefully. It appeared to simply fall asleep.

Ulquiorra withdrew,not because he was _afraid_ of the thing,mind you,just to....give Aizen-sama his mission report,this new development might be interesting. Yeah,he had to make that report....Back on the rooftop,the Cat part of Ichigo had discovered that the source of the reiatsu blast that woke him up was coming from the feminine weakling and had dealt with it accordingly. The Pale One was keeping his reiatsu tightly leashed and stood quiet,so it had also decided that the Pale One was no bother and might even be decent mating matieral if he knew his place as a submissive to Cat. Then it had laid down to return to it's nap and done so right near the Pale One as an invitation to join him. The Pale One had fled,so he assumed he did not like Cat as a potential mate. Ichigo woke a few hours later,retrieved his body,and headed home,reviewing the memories of what he had done and coming to the conclusion that it would be best not to lose control of his instincts in the near future again. Honestly,what the fuck had he been thinking,considering the enemy,one of whom tried to kill him almost weekly,a potential mate? Why the fuck was he looking for a mate anyway? Shit,he remembered what Kenpatchi said about heat....but he was male,even in animal form- did males even go _into_ heat? The teen didn't think so,but perhaps it would be better to do some research once he got home..... Two hours later,the orange-head leaned back in his computer chair,sighing tiredly as he removed the red-framed reading glasses he was forced to use by his paranoid doctor father and rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

Males didn't go into heat,_but_ they did prepare for mating season by.....well, behaving in a more appealing way,sharpening their senses (particularly smell) to locate a female that was in heat,and considering their chances with certain females or even other males that may decide they were worthy as a mate. These behaviors could also be triggered by scenting the heat of a female,as some females would go into heat out of season and males always automatically sprang into action once that reached their noses. So,as far as he could figure,smelling Kenpatchi's heat sent him into mating-season mode,and now he was incredibly sexy to anyone who might possibly consider him for a "mate",aka a boyfriend or roll in the sheets. Juuuuust great. Could things get _any_ worse? **CRASH!!** Apparently,they could. With a low groan,Ichigo set his glasses on the computer desk and rose to his feet,slamming the badge to his chest and then putting his body on the bed before setting off for the blue-haired Arrancar's reiatsu. When he got there the battle was immediately on,but it was over far quicker than either would have liked. Only twenty seconds and they had ripped each other apart,Ichigo even using his hollow mask for eleven seconds,and their incredible speed had decided a victor already. Surprisingly,it had been a tie. Sitting on opposite ends of a deserted back lot,Grimmjow sitting with his back to a concrete wall and Ichigo backed into a brick one,the two leaned their heads against the surface behind them and gave each other tired,disgruntled expressions. "I think...." Grimmjow panted slightly,"I think we oughta slow down." "Yeah," Ichigo agreed breathlessly,"probably. This was fun...." "But entirely too short," Grimmjow finished.

Beginning to catch his breath,Ichigo looked around them,a depression appearing between his brows as they furrowed in concentration. "Hey....I know this place....it's my lot! My First Kill site!" Grimmjow looked around,examined the bloodstains and what used to be massive piles of gore that were now just black stains,and made an appreciative sound deep in his throat. "Nice,Berryboy. I can see where yer prey used ta be." Hearing the appreciative sound,Ichigo suddenly tilted his head,a curious look on his face. "Hmmm....hey Grimmjow, you're a cat-based Arrancar,yeah? Panther,right?" The blunet's brows rose as his attention came back to his opponent. He hadn't thought the Death Berry paid enough attention to know that or remember it. "Yea. What of it?" Thinking back to his own odd new behaviors,the hybrid crossed his legs with a wince. "I was wondering,you purr,right? Does other weird shit happen to you at odd times,usually bad ones?" Almost instantly the older wildcat became tense; purring was a distinctly domestic quality,and he did _not_ want his prey getting the idea that he was a harmless housecat(he conveniently forgot that Ichigo had always regarded him as a powerful enemy and had collected quite a few scars from him over the last month,some of which he was still sporting the wounds of). "No,what the fuck gave ya such a goddamned whacked idea like that?"

Ichigo sighed,feeling the place inside him where his cat and ears and tail were stashed wilt sadly. "I've had to do some research on big cats lately and I found some interesting stuff,I was just wondering if it applied to dead ones like the live ones. Panthers are technically just Lepoards without spots,did you know? They're incredible animals,but I guess dead ones are different. Or maybe that just applies to you,I don't know. Either way," he grunted as he rose to his feet,"that means ya can't help me so just forget it." Ooooh,the berry needed _help_? NOW Grimmjow was interested. "Help? Help with what,cub?" Ichigo just huffed. "I told you,forget it. Yoruichi might be able to do it- hmmm,I wonder if Shuuhei might be a better choice to do that with...." he was mostly muttering to himself now as he walked,ignoring that Grimmjow was painfully hauling himself to his feet in a bid to follow the teen. "Yoruichi would probably just flash me,strip me, molest me,or all three,that perv.....but Shuuhei is stuck in our situation too,and he's _far_ less likely to offer his help in exchange for a few gropes.....then again,he's just as shameless as Yoruichi,and if he's _drunk_ then I'm screwed,especially now with all the hormone issues....Good Goddamn,it's starting to look like I'm going to be mated to that horny wolf after all!" At this point Grimmjow wasn't just curious- he was damn near panicking. HIS Ichigo? MATED? To a WOLF?! The kid was _waaaay_ too young to be thinking about mating already and wolf mated pairs were usually violent,dysfunctional, and abusive. Briefly,the panther questioned when Ichigo had become 'his',then,true to his nature,dismissed it as unimportant and followed the berry.

The teen in particular was blatantly and deliberately ignoring that Grimmjow's reiatsu was tailing him close enough to mesh and rub with his own (a strangely pleasant sensation) and was making for Urahara's to ask a favor. He was probably going to lose his mind to the season soon,or at least get really whacked in the head,and he wanted to get some advice before then. But wait....his steps slowed as he considered that the other hybrids had probably _already_ lost their minds. His steps renewed then- he'd still be asking ol' Hat 'N Clogs for a favor,but a different one than he first thought. Knocking on Urahara's door,he waited patiently for the man to come and slightly twitched when he felt Grimmjow's spike of unease through their meshing reiatsus. Other than that,he showed no sign of knowing the man was there. When the man _did_ open the door,Benehime primed,Ichigo gave him a crooked smile. "Hey perverted shopkeep, can I borrow one of your spare rooms for like a month? Sexual harassment is on it's way and I've already got a stalker or two." The blonds' eyes widened for a moment,then he grinned that pervy grin of his and opened the door further,gesturing him inside. "Ahhh,I see that _it_ has been affecting you too,then. Yoruichi is locked in my room already; there's one free in the underground facility that should keep you fairly safe,at least until _it's_ passed. As for the stalkers,you'll just have to get used to them I'm afraid. After all,now that they've begun they will always remember _why_ they're stalking you. It sure does show you people's true colors though, doesn't it?" As Ichigo stepped inside,he answered animatedly,"Oh you have no idea. Sure tells you who's gay or straight!"

Poor Grimmjow,from his place on the rooftop,heard all that and couldn't help the flash of angry,jealous possession that overtook him. He also had a mild flash of unease when the Shopkeeper grinned at the Death Berry. "Oh,I think I have some knowledge of the draw. Besides,half the men after you now had no idea they were gay or bi until they saw your powerful,predatory self walking by with that tight,cute ass and those oh-so-strong-and-defined hips and legs." The door shut then,blocking the rest of the conversation,and the arrancar felt something cold and prickly go down his spine. Fear? No....it was some sort of warning instinct,and somehow he just _knew_ that Ichigo wasn't safe in that shopkeep's care. Plus,that Yoruchi chick was in that building,right? Hadn't Ichi said something about molestation and getting stripped by her? Damn it all....Grimmjow didn't like this,didn't like it at all. Why was Ichi going where the molester was? Didn't the definition of molestation involve non-consent somehow? For that matter,what in the fucking hell was this '_it_' they kept referencing? Again,the man didn't question when the teen,his favorite prey,stopped being _just_ prey and became his Ichi. How didn't matter,only what was,and Ichi was _his_ Ichi now. Growling,he waited outside the shop on a rooftop,completely still and patient. He'd stay the entire month if he had to,but he was going to be there when Ichigo left that shoten and he was going to find out what the hell _it_ was.

He was rather surprised when,a day and a half later,he felt a spike of Ichigo's unmistakable reiatsu reach him even outside the shop,which had barriers of sekiseki stone. Whatever just happened fucked with Ichigo a LOT,for such a strong jolt to escape the reiatsu-stifling walls. It was after the third such spike that he figured out what was happening. _Ooooohhhh.....jackin' off,eh cub? Wonder what's got you so hot and bothered...._ Licking his lips,the blunet let the next spikes wash over him,the pleasure and burning desire that was twined so tightly with it permeating him. Grimmjow mused,not for the first time,that Ichigo was indeed a passionate man. He threw everything into whatever he was doing- fighting, training,even something as mundane as masturbation. As the spikes began to get closer together,then became one powerful wave,the Arrancar couldn't help but to emulate the Berry. His reiatsu meshed with the other,rising and falling in unison as the pleasure mounted and skyrocketing once release was reached. Collapsing bonelessly on the roof,the blunet absently licked his hand clean as Ichigo's reiatsu drew further in,yet stayed somehow twined with his own. He'd never had such a powerful orgasm in his life. Something to do with the combination of reiatsu.....no matter. He'd figure it out later, right now he needed a nap.

This pattern of activity continued for several days. Their spirit energies were so harmonized now that Grimmjow knew the fluctuations that came with almost anything Ichigo was doing. He knew when he ate,showered,trained,dressed,worked,and even when he was talking to someone. He only masturbated twice more,but both were more of those mind-shattering, earth-shaking,bone-liquifying climaxes that left even Grimmjow so exausted he had to rest for a while before he could move. Grimmjow was now even more adamant about staying until Ichi left,eating any hollow that came into his territory rather than going after the human souls- after all,Karakura was Ichigo's jurisdiction,and with Ichi unable someone needed to take care of the hollows that migrated towards the high reiatsu. Maybe he could trade this favor for some time with the berry when he finally came out? He'd kill a million Menos if the teen would let him be present in the room,totally engulfed in that amazing reiatsu,when the kid was jacking himself off. He was startled from this train of thought when there was a spike of a different kind in his prey's spirit energy. This was.....bad. Not exactly sure what it was,Grimmjow migrated over to the roof of the shoten to examine the reiatsu meshed with his better. He could feel unease...tension... anger?....no,_fury_...and a twinge of resignation. It was radiating from the kid like "I'm Gay" vibes off Szayel's pink hair.

He felt the berry fight and win,and then that wonderful arousal started to seep through the anger and the unease,just a little,but it was there. Ichigo seemed to be fighting it for some reason,supressing it. Grimmjow,not knowing what was going on but certain he didn't want anyone else to know of the pleasure that could be gained during his Ichi's peak arousal moment,helped him tamp it down with his own reiatsu and sent,for lack of a better explanation,a warm feeling over to Ichigo. If he felt the kid needed or wanted some backup,he'd tear the place apart and provide backup,and he made sure Ichi knew that. He got a sense of confusion back from the teen,then almost immediate acceptance. Apparently,Ichigo was like Grimmjow; the how and why don't matter,figure it out later. The now and what's happening is what matters. Ichigo talked for a while,anger coming to the fore,and then after went and got into a shower. The lust suddenly became overwhelming,to the point where Grimmjow was so hard it hurt. The orange-head had been keeping arousal like _this_ in check ever since the fight? How the fuck did he do it?! He sensed Ichigo's amusement rolling through his energy at Grimmjow's stunned disbelief The pleasure spikes started abruptly then,and it took less time than ever for both to reach that earth-shattering release that was so damn addictive. Grimmjow's new post was on the roof right over Ichi's room where he could feel him better. About two and a half weeks after the routine began,the large man was lounging lazily when a garganta ripped open next to him and Ulquiorra stepped out.

Ichigo was woken from a dead sleep by the anger and wild desire to murder that shot through the blue-green reiatsu that wove so tightly with his own dark blue. Leaping from bed,he grabbed Zangetsu off his back and made for the door of the shop,not even thinking about the instinctual reaction until he was directly in front of the door. Instead of opening it,like his instincts screamed at him to do,he sent back that feeling Grimmjow sent him almost two weeks ago- _If you need backup I'll come_. He knew that just as Grimmjow hadn't interrupted his fight,he could not interfere with Grimmjow's unless asked. He sent a wave of soothing emotion along with the warmth,and could feel Grimmjow relax as a result.

Grimmjow abruptly untensing made Ulquiorra suspicious. The sexta _not_ being ready to attack at a second's provocation was unusual; perhaps someone with illusionary abilities was using some sort of trick to capture him or extract information? Nevertheless, he delivered his message in his customary deadpan monotone. "Aizen-sama sent me to find out why you are here yet when all there is in this pathetic place is trash." Grimmjow grunted,hands picking restlessly at the roof tiles. Ahhh,so he wasn't completely relaxed after all,just showing his intentions not to attack for once. "There's something damned odd going on in this town. I can feel it,smell it. I just can't put my finger on what it is. It's like the whole city is....is...." he struggled for the right term a moment,"is _permeated_- is that the word even? -in some weird-ass aura. It's everywhere,on everything! It feels almost like there's....something _wrong_ here. And it's really strong in some places. That one building with all the fledgling humans,a couple three dens scattered around....I don't get it and it's driving me nuts. I'm still here because I'm trying to figure it out and I haven't found any answers yet. All I've found out so far is something big is up,and those who know about the something refer to it as just _it_. And it has something to do with happiness or straightness....." The panther Espada shook his head,fingers smoothing over the tiles he'd displaced. "I'm so damn confused."

Ulquiorra assimilated this information,then nodded. "I see. I shall report back to Aizen-sama." A flick of his wrist and he was gone,the rip closing up behind him and Grimmjow relaxed then,sending the feeling that all was well down to Ichigo. He felt the relief of the teen,then sleepiness as the boy returned to his bed. The blunet chuckled, returning to his own resting spot,and both slept until Ichi was suddenly and unceremoniously woken up. His angry aura spike woke Grimmjow as well,and Grimmjow was somehow able to _feel_ what had happened- someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on Ichi. Grimmjow could feel the water and the cold like it was on his own skin,the uncomfortable sticking of his clothes to his body even though he was completely dry. Shaking off the strange sensation,Grimmjow went back to sleep. He was woken again, late at night,but this time it was something far worse. Burning,all over the teen's body, the pain rolling along their strange connection and sending Grimmjow into a near panic. He did begin to panic when Ichi drew away from their bond, somehow unwinding their meshed reiatsus and blocking more and more of what he was feeling from the Arrancar. _Dammit Ichi don't do this to me!_ A brief moment where the connection strengthened a bit,the Berry sending a single message through- _Trust me,this should not be shared_ -and then he lost him completely as the dark blue reiatsu withdrew behind the sekiseki stone barriers.

The panther didn't know what was going on or what to do. His Ichi was hurting, _burning_ and yet refusing help. They were both prideful animals and they knew it; he could not rush to his side when his help was not wanted. At a loss,he did the only thing he could think of to help- he spread his reiatsu around the entire building like a blanket,letting it seep into the cracks and crevices in the sekiseki stone until it wrapped around everyone in the building, whoever he could find. He knew he'd ensnared at least four or five people,but couldn't tell which one was Ichi and sent soothing coolness over all of them,praying the cold would find the Berry and ease his burning flesh. He could feel the lessening of tension inside,and assumed (correctly) that Ichi had gotten his wave. Still wary,he kept his reiatsu that way for the night,it gently ebbing and flowing,always cool or cold,like waves of the sea. By the time the next night had rolled around,Grimmjow was even more worried than before. Ichigo was staying withdrawn,and if it weren't for the occasional uncontrollable spike of pain Grimmjow wouldn't have been sure he was even still touching the boy. He did what he could,soothing and cooling and stroking the reiatsu he knew as well as his own and sending his worry across the connection that almost wasn't there anymore. He knew he could feel it there,but it was so faint! He could barley tell when the boy was hurting!

Ichigo writhed on his bed,gritting his teeth until he heard them creak from the force to keep himself silent. _This_ was what he had feared,_this_ was the reason he needed one of Urahara's untraceable rooms with reiatsu-containing barriers. He could _feel_ the other hybrids in heat even in the spirit world,and by all things unholy it _hurt_! His body,his instinct,his everything screamed to find and mate and CLAIM,but his iron control denied it and it punished him with this agony,this need. Again,his soul screamed to find a mate and claim them,to dominate and procreate,and again his control said no,that they needed to choose a mate carefully and for life and they couldn't do it in this state. Again,his body was punished with a wave of unyielding want and need and burning all over. One more night,just one damn more night and this would be over. The three nights of the full moon were the hardest to endure; something about the complete roundness of the moon and it's beautiful,silvery light drove hybrids insane as their hormones spiraled out of control. It wasn't quite as bad during the day- still terrible and so so strong,but not as terrible at the nights. Grimmjow's reiatsu suddenly flowed strongly over him,cooling the burning fire and making him nearly purr in pleasure. The ebb and rise of these waves were mostly what kept him sane. Without it he would be yowling like the cat that was now part of him as he mounted someone he didn't particularly care for and took a mate he couldn't be true, good,or faithful to.

While below him Ichigo was sinking his claws into already tattered sheets, Grimmjow was pacing agitatedly and growling,his unease at it's highest since the month began. He could vaguely feel the pull of the moon on his instincts,but it was nothing he couldn't handle. The waves of his cool reiatsu continued to undulate as he controlled it almost unconsiously with it wrapped around the Soul Reaper he was suddenly so concerned for. He had decided,as long as he could no longer occupy his mind with observing Ichi,that it was 'later' and it was time to examine some things. When Ichigo stopped being just prey? Didn't matter. When the enemy had become his Ichi? Also didn't matter. Okay,that was two issues dismissed from his mind for good. As for the third,it would require some actual thought- WHY was Ichigo suddenly important enough to be trusted implicitly and what would this mean for Grimmjow? The panther frowned as he deciphered his own emotions. Contrary to popular belief,though Hollows had no emotions,Arrancar and Espada _did_. It was just how things were- an Arrancar was a hollow that was part Soul Reaper. Since Soul Reapers have emotions,so do Arrancar. He trusted the cub because he cared about him. Cared about him quite a lot. In a more-than-friendly way. Shit. Grimmjow was infatuated. He wasn't stupid and he wasn't a coward; he wasn't gonna lie to himself. He didn't know if this was the kind of thing that led to love like in those trashy romances some espada liked to read(Szayel),but he knew it was something serious nonetheless.

This meant he was attached. Him being attached meant he couldn't kill the boy. He also probably couldn't beat him in battle. Well shit. Now what was that old human saying....? Hmm,he'd remember it in a little while. _GAHH!_ Alarmed at the sudden cry that Ichigo's reiatsu had made,the blunet wrapped his own more tightly around him and made it cold,ice cold,a surging wave to releive the pain. It calmed the boy some,but not nearly as much as it had been before. He was now catching bits and pieces of what he suspected was the boy's thoughts- the meanings were too clear to be just feelings. _Hot,so hot- Burning,pain! -angry,worthless -Cold.....helps -stop myself......mate_ it was jumbled and rushed,and broken up. He couldn't discern what the kid was thinking from those little bits. It was the next thoughts that were clearest. _**MATE! FIND!!**__ No,no,can't find,not ready, not right- __**MUST MATE! NOW MATE!**__ No shut up no mate for us __**NEED MATE BURNING HURTING MOONSONG**__ Ignoring,shutup shutup shutup!! We have no mate! __**no mate it hurts it hurts why we not have mate need mate**__ Don't need mate, Grimmjow helping enough! __**Not enough still burns why you not choose mate need mate please Master**__ We have no mate,no mate would take us. Calm calm,sunup soon burning less then. We take lifemate only and no mate willing,can't WON'T take unwilling mate. __**Never unwilling Master,never. Grimmjow....help. Not mate but help.**__ Yes,Grimmjow helps. Can't join others,nono they have mates. Can feel. Can't join them,beat them._ Well now,THAT was pretty unexpected. Who the hell was Ichi arguing with,and what did they want a mate for?

Yet another reason he was going to stay until the cub came out of this shoten. He now not only wanted that favor,he wanted answers. And by fuck he would get them. The boy soon calmed as the sun rose above the horizon,dropping into an exausted sleep once it was fully in the sky. Grimmjow was more restless than ever now and decided to go hunt down the two low level hollows that evaded him while he had been insulating the berry with cooling reiatsu. Ichigo had said the burning lessened when the sun was up so it would be okay,right?

Ichigo,having felt Grimmjow leave,was quickly heating further. It was admittedly lessened in the daytime,but after denying himself and his soul for two days the buildup was excruciating. Unable to help it anymore,he curled up in a ball on his bed,stark naked to try and relieve the heat -not that it was working- and made painful,confused little rumbling whines and whimpers as it only continued to increase. At one point he was no longer able to stand it and crawled into the shower,turning it on as cold as it could get and laying fully out on the tile as it pounded his boiling skin. The water eventually ran out and when it did he was stuck laying on the floor,wet and literally steaming as the water evaporated from the heat of his skin. In so much agony was he that he never noticed Grimmjow returning nor the waves of cold reiatsu that tried desperately to soothe him. The tile soon became too hot for him to lay on and he weakly hauled himself back to bed,crying and whimpering from the pain. It took all he had not to scream,to yowl,to beg for mercy and help. He knew that it was to late for help; any living being touching his skin would hurt so bad he would scream loud enough for Hueco Mundo to hear him. He had waited too long,even if he had a mate chosen it was impossible to soothe him now. There was nothing left to do but dig his claws into the wood,bite anything he could get between his teeth,and wait for it to worsen and then pass.

And so he did. He passed into a haze of nothing but pain,pure agony and if he'd been able he would have screamed,but the pain was too great even to scream. His body curled,his throat closed,and it took all he had to keep breathing. His jagged,sharp teeth bit through at least five things he could lay teeth into before he lost count,his claws shredded the wood of the bedframe,and his tail lashed frantically. Every time he thought it couldn't hurt more,it abruptly escalated and again he had to focus consciously on breathing,tears streaming unendingly from his eyes as he tried and failed to block it out. The ten hours the moon shone felt like centuries,the pain even reaching a point where he no longer had the option of passing out. The hurt was too much to escape. When morning came and the pain at last began to gradually fade,the poor hybrid,muscles locked in place from the pain and his grip,passed out cold. He woke not completely pain free,but as far as he was concerned it was nothing compared to what he had just endured. His every muscle ached, and he was so stiff he could barely move,but it didn't matter. The pain of the moonsong was gone. Slowly,tiredly,painfully,he carefully stretched each muscle and loosened them one by one,using his knowledge as a doctor's son to keep himself from damaging his muscles further. Slowly,using control he had learned from Grimmjow's constant manipulation of their entwined reiatsus,he unfurled the energy he'd kept locked so deep inside himself with a sigh.

At the spreading of the Death Berry's aura,Grimmjow quickly enmeshed his with the dark blue that had evaded him for three days. Three terrifying days. Too long to be separated from the one he worried for so much. Ichi was still hurting,quite badly,but not burning up. In fact,he wasn't even noticing the pain that would have any other human,no matter how conditioned to pain,on their knees. The panther had returned from hunting to find the cub unresponsive, aura drawn in to his skin eerily close,and apparently blanked to the world. He didn't know what had happened to the orange-head,but whatever it was must've been bad. He prowled agitatedly across the roof,sending what was effectively a rough scolding down the connection to the kid. He got only amusement in return,along with a vague sense of relief that was almost like background static. Confused,he sent curiosity and irritation to the other,and this time got a sense of distance,effectively an _I'll tell you later_. The adolescent took a shower,then went and talked to a few people,did something that made him _ache_ in strange ways,and went back to sleep. The next afternoon when he finally woke up,he sent a peculiar prickle up to Grimmjow. If it had to be translated,it would roughly come out as _wait a little longer,I'll see you soon_. There seemed to be something off about the kit somehow though. He exited the shoten about and hour later and gave Grimmjow a pointed look before heading towards his home across town.

When Ichigo climbed in through his bedroom window,still feeling the effects of his strenuous mating peak,the blue-haired panther dived into the room directly after him,landing in the center of his back. Ichigo hissed. "Shit Grimmjow,get off! That fucking hurts dammit!" Rather surprised,Grimmjow clambered off and leapt on the bed instead,looking at the berry with a puzzled expression. "You can handle me slicing my sword through you in a thousand cuts,a few gut stabs,and even the occasional bite without flinching,and suddenly a pounce has you unable to get up? Fuck Ichi,what _happened_ to you?" Still incredibly stiff from the agony two nights ago,the carrot top rolled to lay on his back without bothering to get up and groaned. "Like I said a month ago Grimm.....ya can't help me so what's the fuckin' point of tellin' ya?" Grimmjow growled,peering down at the kid. Had to say,he rather liked the view. "If ya don't tell me o' course I can't do shit ta help. What do ya expect me ta do,read yer-" He blinked, that's right! The night before the boy blanked,the older male had heard his thoughts,clear as if they'd been screamed in his ear. "Shinigami......did whatever made ya so stiff an' sore have somethin' ta do with what made ya draw 'way from me?" From the tensing of already stiff muscles,he'd hit it spot on. "It does,don't it?! And when I got back two nights ago and ya were zoned out an' stuff,that's connected to it too ain't it?!" The boy snarled at him,rolling and rising to all fours. "Ya don't got the same symptoms dammit,so ya don't got the same problem and it's none o' yer buisness!"

The blunet latched on to one word. "'Symptoms'? Ya had some kinda sickness then?" The teen dug frustrated fingers into his hair. "No,Grimmjow,it's more like a....lifetime condition. Not a sickness....more like a disease. Like an STD more than anything. Grimmjow,this is private! You don't get it,this isn't the kind of thing you share with anyone; nobody else can understand what you mean unless they've been through it themselves. Although...." his eyes closed,"I...I know I got it worst. I could....._feel_.....that nobody had to go through what I did. Lucky sons of bitches." Getting onto the bed himself,he laid down on his stomach and noticed,breifly,that his claws were digging into the cotton. Odd,he thought he'd 'put away' all his hybrid bits. He dismissed it however and shifted a little to get comfortable. Grimmjow was not satisfied with that,however,and prodded the smaller's side with a knuckle. "Ya can't just say I won't understand and try t'let yerself off the hook,cub. I'm smarter than you think. Just try me on for size." Ichigo snorted. "But you won't. I could tell you're different. You didn't have to endure _it_," fanged teeth gnashed as the boy fought not to snarl again,"and the urges _it_ inspires. It's beyond imagining." The Death Berry laughed bitterly. "You're lucky,you've probably never had to even think about it. Pain to much to even scream,too much to breath almost. Too painful to even escape into the dark sweetness of unconsciousness. To hurt too bad even to die."

The sexta bared his own teeth and moved,positioning himself over his Ichi on all fours,pressing body to body in an unconscious display of dominance. "I know that kind of fucking pain,Ichigo. Now goddamit tell me _why_! From the moment I was born as a hollow I've fought and killed and been hurt to survive. But you...you're ALIVE,a living,breathing human being! It only makes sense for me to have known that sort of hurt but how does a mere child like you come by it?!" Flipping them,Ichigo roared. "BECAUSE I'M _NOT_ A HUMAN BEING ANYMORE,GRIMMJOW! I'M JUST SOME MORON'S GODDAMN LAB CAT, A FUCKING EXPERIMENT GONE WRONG!!" Holding the bigger man down by his shoulders,brown eyes were dark with fury. "I was human a few months ago Grimmjow,but I'm not anymore and I never will be again." Quietly,calmly,the aqua-eyed arrancar reached up.... and stroked the orange-furred ears that lay flat in anger half-buried in equally orange hair. "Shhhh,Ichi,calm down....then tell me what happened." The berry was shaking hard,a few beads of sweat matting the light fur near his temples,and his tail thrashing angrily. He opened his mouth to rant further,but Grimmjow covered it with one large hand. "No no,calm down first. Only after you're calm explain things. You're pissed and you're ranting but I'm not the one you should be screaming at." Using his other hand,he left the ears alone and stroked along a bristling spine instead.

After a moment or two of soft murmurs and gentle stroking,Ichi slowly began to relax. When he was sprawled comfortably on Grimmjow's broad chest,his mouth was uncovered. Giving a sleepy yawn,he explained. "I'm a hybrid now. The itching was my fur trapped beneath my human body. I'm about a third panther and a third cheetah,which means I'm only a third human. This month,I'm sure you know,is mating season. I went into heat basically,but the three days of the full moon are worst. Since the other hybrids have more human in them than I do it's not as bad for them....not nearly....especially since I had no mate and they did. The only mate I choose will be for life. Nobody I know would take me for that long. Um,Grimmjow......is it just me or is it kinda warm in here....?" Folding his hands behind his head,Grimmjow smirked. "That's just yer fur,ya ain't used ta it in yer human body yet. So ya went through absolute hell an' then some jus' cuz ya mate fer life? Seesh cub,yer stupid." Rather than taking offense,which was his usual response,all Ichigo did was sigh. "I know. But humans are....different,Grimmjow. When you take a mate you don't always know them. You can't be sure they won't suddenly change. And you don't know if they're lying to you and have a sickness that can kill you or if they're out to steal everything you own. Humans can't trust other humans,which is why they go through mates like a hollow goes through souls. I'm not gonna be like that. Not as a human,not as a hybrid." The boy's nose wrinkled. "I was taught differently."

Grimmjow mulled over this new information. "Humans are really that stupid? They take mates that are out to kill or hurt them or steal from them?" Ichigo,eyes closed, propped his chin on his hands,which rested on the arrancar's collarbone. "Yes. Sometimes they do it more than once. A large percentage of humans are....actors,very good actors,and hide evil intentions behind masks so they never get caught." Peeking one eye open and seeing Grimmjow's confused expression,Ichigo rephrased. "A whole lot of humans are like a less powerful version of Aizen- illusionists that pretend to be benevolent and kind while really they're waiting for the first chance to royally fuck you over. There aren't real many humans that think like you and me; that are straightforward." Stretching his arms out over the espada's shoulders,Ichigo settled into the vee of the other man's legs unconsiously as he relaxed,cheek against a bare chest. "What about hollows and arrancar? How do they handle mates?" Almost absently,the blunet stroked Ichigo from head to tail several times. "It's a pretty uncomplicated thing- what you get is what you see. You see someone that looks or acts in a way you find appealing,you present yourself,and are either rejected or accepted. If rejected,you can continue to attempt to convince the other or simply move on to try and find another mate. Once you have found your mate and been accepted you are bound for life,and so is your mate,soul to soul. Hollows are particularly protective of mates and offspring as well,from the most powerful and intellegent to the weak and stupid."

Ichigo yawned,despite his roused curiosity. "Can someone take more than one mate?" Grimmjow snorted. "What kinda fuckin' question is that? Of course we can! When I was still an adjucas I had five mates at once- they all got killed by other hollows when I was out hunting though. Never had any cubs. I didn't particularly like them anyway,but they had asked me and I was young and had no real idea what being a mate entailed so I accepted. I don't even remember their fuckin' names anymore." Yawning again,Ichigo settled down further into the bigger male's body as he started to drift off. Half asleep,he teased,"You'd make a very poor choice of mate,then....." Looking down at the teen sleeping on his chest,stunned,he was surprised to find that the comment hurt him somewhere inside; right about the place where his worry and possessiveness of the berry came from. He would make a bad mate? _Ichigo had been considering him for a mate and he'd __**blown his chance **__completely?!_ Son of goddamn Aizen. Grimmjow knew he wasn't exceptionally good at the nice thing,but the one chance he gets to claim something- no,some_one_,Ichi was NOT an object -and he'd already fucked it up and destroyed it. And, as Grimmjow knew better than most,in things like this you just don't _get_ second chances. Not with people like Ichigo. Ichigo wasn't maybe the smartest book-wise,but street-wise, battle-wise,and emotion-wise the kid was one of those fucking geniuses. The kid knew better than to give you more than one chance to disappoint him- if you had let him down once odds were you'd do it again.

If he'd been in his panther form his ears would be flat,his tail would be tucked,and he'd be literally tearing the shit out of himself for being such a goddamn idiot. Because he was stuck as a humanoid thanks to the hyogoku,he couldn't do that and if he tried he'd wake the cub,so he settled for letting his thoughts seethe as he berated and mentally punished himself throughout the night and into the small hours of the morning. It was shortly before the time Ichigo would rise from bed that he at last dropped into a restless, nightmare-filled sleep where he was constantly trying to catch a beautiful orange panther that always danced out of his reach,glared,rejected, or downright attacked him when he got too close.

A/N: Okay,here's chapter two as promised,scince I'd already written it and all. Honestly, enjoy!! You'll never fuckin' guess wht I got planned for chapter 3 darlings. *evil laughter*


	3. you screwed UP

CHAPTER 3

The teen woke and rose early,making sure his alarm was turned off so the tired-looking Grimmjow wouldn't be bothered by it,and went to shower. He still didn't like them overmuch,because it turned out cats don't really hate rain because it's water; they hate it because the pounding droplets hurt their sensitive ears,tails,paws,and noses. With the hybridism tucked away inside,he wasn't as leery of showers,but he was still _way_ too paranoid about baths. After getting out of the shower,he noticed something odd- he appeared have grown....whiskers. Long,black,fragile-looking whiskers that sprouted from either side of his nose above his mouth. Curiously,he touched them before wincing and quickly drawing his hand back with a hiss. Long,black,fragile-looking,_fucking sensitive_ whiskers! Tucking them away and stretching out his body,he then went to go find Kon and get his body back. After school that day,when he climbed into his customary tree for a nap,he went to sleep and found himself inside the place he hadn't been since before the Viziards told him what he was (and,with this hybrid business popping up so unexpectedly, he hadn't really had time to consider their offer). His soul world. When he popped into there he was surprised,and thus off-balance; he ended up tripping over a window ledge to land on top of his hollow.

He levered himself up,a muttered "sorry" spilling automatically from his lips. Hollow or not,enemy or not,the hollow was part of him and didn't deserve to have a hundred and thirty six pounds of muscled,heavy person dumped on him. Ichigo knew how much it hurt from when Keigo tackled him. Underneath him the hollow blinked,assessing not only the spoken apology but the thoughts that had been connected to it in King's mind, before giving a slow grin that made Ichigo's skin prickle. He'd never seen that particular grin on his hollow before and found it mildly creepy,though not nearly outright disturbing like his usual insane battle-grin was. The black-toothed grin widened. "I'm so glad yer finally gettin' ta like me betta,King." Ichigo blinked. "If ya say so...." Yawning,he lowered himself a little so his arms wouldn't give out. "Didja call me in here for anything special? 'Cuz I'm damned tired." The hollow outright laughed at this. No death threats! No calling him nasty names or insults! Best of all,that horrible _push_ had let up! Pushing his King up and then further,onto his back,the mirror image straddled his other's hips and rested his hands on Ichigo's chest,slowly working his shihakusho top loose. "Relax King, it's nothin' major. Old Man jus' wanted me ta make sure ya knew what the fuck's goin' on in 'ere. Them cat instincts a yers sorta merged wit' me an' I'm as much a hybrid as you are now,bu' it can manifest itself if the instinct's strong enough. Ya'll know when it's the Cat 'cuz it calls ya Master."

The top completley undone now,Ichigo shrugged out of it without comment,only raising an eyebrow in question when the surprisingly warm hands once again landed on his pectorals. Grinning that new,playful grin again,the white one explained,"I'm givin' ya a massage. Yer too damn tense these days and it makes all th'buildin's in 'ere crowd together,plus when yer this stiff ya can't fight fer shit. I ain't lettin' ya get us both killed jus' cuz yer too damn stiff an' sore an' tensed up." Relaxing easily under the gentle, strangely adept touch,Ichigo let his eyes drift closed. He wasn't really sure why his hollow suddenly didn't hate him anymore,but his every instinct and sense told him the other male was no danger any longer. Thinking of something,he frowned and opened one eye. "You must be tired of being referred to as 'hollow' by now. Ya want a name? 'Cuz I suck at names so I'm perfectly open to suggestions." The blue tongue flashed on a chuckle as white palms pressed into knotted rib muscles. "I was thinkin' o' somethin' original. Muji, or Shifuujin(white thunder?) maybe." Now it was the orange-head's turn to chuckle. "Both are better than Hichigo,which was the best I could come up with." Watching as the heels of those so-warm palms sank delicately into his abdominal muscles to loosen them without restricting his breathing,Ichigo's tea-brown eyes softened as he smiled a little. "It doesn't have to be a final decision now; you can take as long as you want. It's _your_ name, after all."

The white male didn't respond,watching his King's eyes flutter closed,and felt a wave of warmth suffuse him. _Trust. Connection. Kindness._ Everything he had previously been denied was being offered as a door somewhere with the hundred of buildings opened partway. A door that had previously been locked tight. A door that looked exactly like many others except for the name emblazoned in gold across it- _My Hollow._ The door that led to Ichigo's wellspring of emotion; that only opened for the one whose name was upon it and enshrouded them in his endless love and protection like a blanket. Ichigo had no idea,but he spun his emotions like thread,manipulated them with skill the most precise kido user would envy. Instead of controlling his reiatsu,he controlled his emotions,forcing them into a presence outside his body and enfolding those he cared for in them. His hollow had watched him do it for months without King even realizing what he did or how well he did it. Seeing all those others completely wrapped in warmth and love and protection and comfort from his King when he couldn't even feel a thread of hate from the same man had made him jealous. So instead of continuing the path he was,he decided to make King see him as not just part of himself,but as a separate being and one he could trust. King didn't waste his emotions on himself,the gold-eyed boy had noticed,just sort of accepted whatever it was without care. He accepted he was depressed and a monster and then wasted no more thought about it. The Hybrid business had changed everything.

With a little pull and a grunt from the orange-head,Ichigo was rolled onto his stomach so the white hands could begin massaging his shoulders and back. Shit,the kid had _rocks_ for muscles,_steel cables_ for tendons and ligaments. Bad King,letting yourself get like this! Sighing, the hollow returned to his thoughts. The hybridism had altered Ichi's perception dramatically- he wasn't _him_ anymore,and that had caused a goddamn TSUNAMI in here from the sheer amounts of water,followed closely by massive hurricanes as he became angry and conflicted over what had been done to him. Slowly,acceptance had come; the water drained and wind calmed. It was obvious King was still screwed up over this though- his buildings weren't just sideways anymore,they were skewed at impossible angles and _floating_. Not to mention the occasional hurricane still tore through here,or a tornado. Plus those horrendous lightning storms- the white copy not only got soaked in those,he got electrocuted. Finished,he got off his King and stretched. "A'ight,ya can go back ta yer body if ya want now." Ichigo forced himself up on his arms,cracking his back,and got to his feet. Blinking,he rolled his shoulders and _purred_. "Thanks man. You're really good,you know that? Here,I'll return the favor." Surprised by this,the other did as asked and laid down,taking off his fuugata and presenting his King with his bare chest.

Ichigo stared for a moment,then smiled. Not a smirk,a _smile_. Again the hollow felt a wave of heat wash over him. "You don't have a hollow hole. I never noticed." _Ya never cared b'fore,_the other thought,but didn't say it out loud. He wasn't going to do anything that might make his door shut and lock itself again. "Jus' lucky I guess," was all he replied,and Ichigo set to work on his chest. Right away the copy noticed the difference between their techniques- King pressed and rubbed like he knew exactly what he was doing,where he had simply dug in and circled his fingers and hoped it didn't hurt instead of help. But King WAS a doctor's son.....it would make sense he'd know a lot about how the human body worked. It was there,on a diagonally angled floating building,as Ichigo massaged the tension from pale muscles,that their bond stretched,snapped,and held strong. Nothing would ever turn them against one another now,and to tear them apart would be to kill them. Ichigo went even further than the white copy of himself had,fingers working into muscles in places the other male didn't even know he _had_,all the way from the base of his skull to the tips of each toe. Then he sat back,rolled his shoulders,and laid down beside him. "You don't mind if I take a nap here,do you? I'm still kinda tired..." Gold eyes closed as black teeth clicked on a laugh. "Go 'head King. If nothin' else,yer safe in here. Always." The two promptly curled themselves around each other,nuzzling and purring,and fell asleep.

When Ichigo woke from his nap,stretching in the tree,he admitted privately that he felt somehow better. Almost as if he were more whole than he had been. He wasn't quite sure why, but he sure as hell wasn't going to complain. It was as he climbed down from the tree that he expanded his senses and realized something rather odd- Grimmjow was still in his room. He could feel the man there. Now that he thought about it, Grimmjow had been hanging around Karakura for over a month now. Sure,Ulquiorra had been sent to check up on him once,but……shouldn't someone have come to at least _attempt_ to retrieve Grimmjow at this point? He thought Aizen was more paranoid than that. Exactly what did Grimmjow _tell_ Ulquiorra to be left alone for this long? His own profound paranoia awake and roaring at the top of it's lungs, he quickly took to the rooftops (something he now easily managed in his human body thanks to the hybridism) and made for home. He was stopped on the way, however, by the appearance of that blond weirdo from before….Shinji? Irritated, he briefly contemplated not stopping and bowling the slender male over, then dismissed the idea and skidded to a stop just short of him, coming nose-to-nose. "Whaddya want?" The man grinned at him and Ichigo promptly decided that said smile was as creepy as Mayuri's. "We want you to join us." Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "No way in fucking hell. It was bastards like you that got me into the mess I'm in now, I'm not getting anywhere near your kind again while I'm alive if I can help it."

He paused, then added, "Mayuri _and_ Urahara included. They're worse than you, but that's because they've actually gotten their hands on me." Ichigo then promptly used one hand on the other man's shoulder to vault over him and _shunpo_'d home. Back in the relative safety of his room, Ichigo quickly swapped out his school uniform with street clothes, deciding that he needed a break from Hollows, Arrancar, Vizored, and anything else having to do with things not entirely of this physical world. He paused next to his bed, seeing the older male still asleep on it, curled comfortably, and frowned. Hell, the guy really needed his sleep- firmly squashing his paranoia, he gave a blue-kissed temple a fond nuzzle before leaving.

Grimmjow, after waking drenched in the scent of Ichigo and with a painful hard on, wondered if it was possible to keep this odd sort of content feeling around. Minus the arousal, that was. He wouldn't touch a cub like Ichigo even if offered the chance to kill Aizen. Stretching, he noticed it was dark out, but he was alone. Where _was_ the cub? Sniffing experimentally, he could tell that the last time Ichi had been in the room was several hours ago, and that he'd been in and out quickly. He had also been uneasy….. even suspicious. What could make a here-and-now person like Ichigo suspicious? It would have to be something really weird indeed. Uneasy himself now, the blunet levered himself up from the bed and reached out for Ichigo's reiatsu. It was only after he found nothing at all that he began to panic.

Ichigo was quite literally towns away, letting out the occasional roar of satisfaction as he fought. He had discovered, many years ago, that it was remarkably easy to find a place to fight- at least, when you weren't in Karakura. It was here, at this ring in an illegal underground fight club, that he had learned to wield the bagnahks to full effectiveness. It was here he had learned for the first time what it really meant to be an animal. It was here he had learned that he lived to fight. He had forgotten about this place for a while, between the Hollows and Aizen and those goddamn arrancar, but now he was himself again and now he was gonna remind himself how fucking _good_ it felt to release the **beast**. How the fuck had he ever lived without this? In the center of the ring, bagnahks on, Ichigo grinned at the people on the upper floor and flexed his claws. He dared them to hit him with their best shot, and by Hades he would get what he asked for. But the question was, were there any left to challenge him? He'd been fighting for nearly six hours now, and even if there was anyone left willing to fight him it would have to be his last fight.

He flexed his claws and shook his body, blood splattering the walls and floor of the arena. Well, _more _blood, anyway. "I gotta get back soon so nobody gets suspicious; anybody willin' ta give me one last fight?" For a moment there wasn't any answer, then a large man with massive muscles padded to the edge. "I will." Ichigo grinned, fangs glinting between his lips that probably intimidated the less seasoned fighters, and opened his arms wide. "Let's go then." Ten minutes later Ichigo was walking out of the club, very satisfied and equally very rich. He didn't really care about the rich part; he used to fight at this club every weekend, and each time got a whole lot of money. In order to keep his little excursions from becoming public knowledge, he had it transferred into a private account under his name. He would have liked to give it to his family, but then he'd have to answer awkward questions about where it came from. Which he really, really didn't want to do. Not with all the Arrancar and Soul Reaper shit he'd been dealing with for so long. The last thing he needed was to become estranged from his family- which he was risking his life several times daily to protect. Looking at his blood-drenched clothing, he decided it was a good idea to visit the public showers this city happened to have. God, he loved this town and the gang that ran it. It made his life _so_ much easier.

In the public showers, he was toweling his hair dry while walking to the locker that held clean clothes to go home in when he felt his towel slip and fall. Well, fuck it. Having decided not to give a damn, he slung the towel he still had around his shoulders and opened his locker. He quickly backed up and whirled his head around to glare when he heard the wolf-whistle. His eyes settled on a tall, slender man with purple hair, and before he could help it he blurted, "Yumichika?!" The man laughed, not moving from where he leaned against the row of locker opposite him. "Sorry, but no. Name's Moreav. Just never thought I'd see a natural orange. I've seen natural white and obviously a natural purple," he gestured to the trail of dark purple leading down his stomach to his crotch, "but I've never seen orange." Ichigo chuckled, reaching into his locker and starting to dress. "I've seen all those as well- and the natural purple wasn't you- but I've got one that tops 'em all. A natural blue. Teal blue, in fact, but if you call it teal he gets pissed at you because he calls it a girly color." The other man's laughter was surprisingly pleasant.

Pulling his shirt over his head, the Death Berry stretched and grinned at the other. "You a fighter? I don't know any other kind of us to use these public showers." Moreav's eyes softened, a light grin quirking his lips. "Yeah. I'm not good enough to take the likes of you on though. Not unless you're talking about the other kind of fighting." An orange head of hair bowed as shoulders shook with laughter. "No, no, I don't do casual. It's just not my way. I'm lookin' fer a life partner. Ain't found anyone yet though." The slimmer man pulled out a piece of paper, wrote something on it, and held it out to Ichigo. "I know what you mean. I've been looking for the same thing myself. Ever wanna talk, or even just go out on a date to screw with some idiot's head, call me." The teen thought a moment, then took the paper and tucked into his wallet. "I'll be sure to remember that. You seem like someone worth talking to." He paused a moment or two, then took a spare scrap of paper and wrote his own cell phone number on it and handed it to Moreav. Most people would be totally shocked to learn that Ichigo owned a human cell phone, but he did and had since the first time he staggered home with a broken arm, six broken ribs, and a broken leg with countless lacerations and shards of glass and wood embedded in his flesh. His dad had insisted he get one and still paid the bill each month.

With a low sound that was similar to a satisfied purr, the berry stretched out and cracked his elbows, shoulders, and back. "Time t'get back home. Be seein' ya, Moreav." With a good-natured grin, something that hadn't been seen in nearly six months, the boy caught a train and headed home. Though many of the gang members hanging around the station gave him sidelong looks, they left him alone. He'd told the gang leader on his first trip in town that he was already in a war and only wanted a place to blow off some steam in between battles. At the time, it had only been a war of him against the mildly irritating gangs that liked to target him. Now he was really in a _war_, between Arrancar and Shinigami, between a madman who thought he was God and a court Guard Squad that also acted as God, and he had to admit he preferred when the war was small-scale. Either way, their agreement still stood. Once arriving home, his bag of weaponry slung over his shoulder, he found himself suddenly smothered in bright blue spiritual pressure. His own reaching out, interweaving with the stuff wrapping itself around him in impossible ways and voicing a question at the panic in the lightly colored stuff. _Grimmjow…?_ The equivalent to _Oh my fucking god where were you I thought you were dead I was so worried WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU_ shot down the connection with all the force of a charging bull.

Blinking up at the sky, Ichigo decided he decidedly disliked cement. It was terribly hard on the body when you've been knocked down. Much harder than sand, grass, or beaten dirt. _Maybe I shouldn't have returned_, he mused to himself, _for this kind of trouble. After all, Kuvan swore he'd always save a space for me in the scheme of things._ It was then he was confronted with a worried Grimmjow in his face upside down, nose-to-nose. "You scared me shitless, Shinigami. What the fuck were you thinking?" Still mildly dazed, the teen responded a little too truthfully. "I was thinking it would be a welcome change to get the hell away from moronic Soul Reapers who mostly see me as a very useful tool and irritable Arrancars that would really like to disembowel me." Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. So that was all Ichigo though of him, huh? Fine. He'd prove the cub right. Hauling the boy upright, he then tossed his badge at him. "Fight me kid. Now." The boy himself looked a little confused. "What? Here? Why?" A low growl came from the tanned throat. "Ya got away from the irritable Arrancar who wants ta disembowel you, and now ya gotta fight him." Brow furrowing, Ichigo began, "I didn't mean-" "Just fuckin' fight me," Grimmjow cut him off, and to his surprise he saw the strangest thing happen; the teen's usually open expression closed off in a way he had never seen before to become cold and hard. Eyes no longer that attractive tea-brown but instead an angry almost-black, the Death Berry slammed the badge to his chest and without pause took Zangetsu to Grimmjow as his body dropped lifelessly to the ground, face emotionless.

It was almost scary, the change in the teenager. He obviously wasn't enjoying the fight as he usually would, and that fact set Grimmjow's warning instincts screaming again. It was almost hard to believe such a change could come so quickly. It just _felt_ wrong, almost _unnatural_. What was more, this wasn't Ichigo's usual 'attack until one of the opponents stops moving' method; this was methodical and intelligent, hammering away at every weak point Grimmjow had with precision even Ulquiorra would have found impressive. When Grimmjow tried to fight back, he found that he couldn't find the slightest gap in the other's impenetrable defense. When, not even using that mask or his Bankai, Ichigo managed to throw a supremely powerful getsuga tensho into Grimmjow and throw him backward with a burning wound to match the one from the first time they fought except going in the other direction, it was the complete lack of emotion on his Ichi's face that sent shivers down the blunet's spine. Tentatively, the larger male reached out with his reiatsu, seeking the familiar dark blue warmth, and encountered only the cold aura of a stone wall. That scent of suspicion was back again, suspicion and betrayal. It was then that, for the first time, it really occurred to Grimmjow that Ichigo was a human teenager.

A teenager who was being forced into a role men with a thousand years or more of experience couldn't handle. A teenager who had likely not known what it meant to be a teen…..ever. A human boy who couldn't possibly comprehend what he had gotten into as a warrior but was expected to anyway. What had Ichigo told him before? _"You are born to kill…..we are __**made**__ into soldiers…..killers with broken bodies and __**shattered minds**__."_ The echo of the words suddenly chilled the Espada to the bone. Ichigo was _sixteen years old_. He wasn't even old enough to smoke in human terms, and here he was, Soul Society's strongest weapon in an upcoming war against a madman like Aizen. And he had taken offense to the kid wanting to escape? Even _insulted_ the boy, and overridden him when he tried to explain? What had he _done_? Suddenly feeling a bit like he'd just pulled an Aizenesque mind-fuck, the man lost his desire to fight and beat a hasty retreat back to Hueco Mundo.

Left staring at an empty hole in the sky, Ichigo went back to his body and entered it, that strange lack expression never leaving his face. Even as he walked home, he flipped open his cell, dialing an unfamiliar number written on a paper slip he pulled from his wallet.

On one knee before his "lord", Grimmjow's voice was unusually serious as he finished his report. "I don't know what the fuck's goin' on, really, but I do know that whatever _it_ is, and almost everythin' else, seems ta center around the kid, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen seemed to think for a few moments, then frowned almost imperceptibly. "It is a pity you've seemed to have offended the boy in that case. We seem to need someone to spy on him and someone who he could possibly be close to would be preferable. Ulquiorra, is it possible you could-" "He couldn't," Grimmjow interrupted, "Kurosaki is damnably like-minded to me, and I _hate_ Ulquiorra. At most, he would come to a tentative truce, but he'd never trust 'im." Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed. "Perhaps not. As previous intelligence has shown us, Kurosaki collects friends during his battles. Some of his most trusted allies are people he has fought and beaten to within nearly and inch of their lives."

Grimmjow's eyebrows furrowed, and he conceded the point. "True. He seemed to like me one hell of a lot and we've beaten the shit out of each other repeatedly." Aizen decided to cut in at this point. "Very well. Grimmjow, you will attempt to fix things with the human boy and act as a spy for us on his abilities and activities. If you fail, Ulquiorra will be sent in your place." Without further ado, Grimmjow nodded in acknowledgement and he returned to the living world through a gargantua. Privately, he hoped to god he could fix what he'd fucked up, because no way in hell was he going to let Ulquiorra near his Ichi.

Sitting cross-legged at a low table in Moreav's apartment and drinking a cup of tea, Ichigo was considerably more relaxed than he'd been since Grimmjow had demanded a fight. He had explained everything in full detail (except for his hybridism) once he learned that Moreav was also someone who had been able to see the spiritual world since he was young, and was feeling considerably better for his chance to rant. He was considering telling him about the hybridism as well, but his train of thought was interrupted when a loud "Oh fuck!" came from the kitchen. Worried the other man had somehow been hurt, he darted inside, only to be smacked into the face by something solid and….feathered? Backing up a step, he found himself looking at a rather large pair of purple-and-white wings that were sprouting from between Moreav's shoulder blades. Staring for a second, the teen then grinned wryly and said, "I suppose it'd be hard to maneuver in such a small kitchen with a pair of these, eh?" Oddly enough, the purple-haired male looked more embarrassed than worried. "Yeah. I can't always keep my demi-form restrained; I'm not quite used to living around humans yet." Letting his hybrid traits manifest in his human body, the death berry let out a purr of contentment. "Feels good to relax."

Looking only mildly surprised, the older inspected the armored tail and the light fur. "Feline? And here I had the impression you would be something with more force, like an eagle or a bear." Putting his weight on his elbows, he grinned at the slight man. "I'm a panther-cheetah crossbreed. Fucking _lions_ have less force than me. The only difference is I also have finesse." With his wings ruffling a little, Moreav turned and went back to the main room with the younger male. "So, from what I'm getting, you really don't want to go back, do you?" Ichigo's tail flicked with mild embarrassment. "No….no, I really don't. I'd like to be semi-normal for a while. I just don't think I'll get much of a chance to have that, you know?" The avian hybrid smiled at his newest comrade. "You can stay with me. As long as you need a place." Ears fully forward in disbelief, the feline was wide-eyed. "R-really? I can stay with you?" The older man chuckled. "Yes."

A quick call from an untraceable phone booth later, Ichigo was settling himself into Moreav's apartment, satisfied that his family would inform everybody else who might want to know that he had moved and would be unreachable for the next….very long time.

Karakura, meanwhile, was in a total uproar. "DADDY'S LITTLE BOY HAS FINALLY BECOME HIS OWN MAN!! DADDY'S SO PROUD!!" "WHAT THE HELL, DAD?!" A moment's pause, and then Karin's screech sounded throughout Karakura to alert every inhabitant to this unusual situation. "_WHAT DO YOU MEAN ICH-NII'S MOVED AWAY AND IS UNREACHABLE UNLESS HE CONTACTS US?!?! HOW CAN YOU NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT FUCKING TOWN HE'S IN?! GIMME THAT DAMNED PHONE, I'M TRACING THE CALL AND THEN GOING TO KICK HIS ASS MYSELF!!"_ The soul reapers were in shock. Ichigo was….gone? Their sentiments were summed up fairly accurately by one single Arrancar floating high over the city. "Goddamn motherfucking hell."

The next few months were weird to say the least. They knew Ichigo was still around, somewhere, because whenever a hollow too powerful for the soul reapers still stationed in Karakura an orange flash would dispatch it, but that's all there was- that single flash of color. He was never sighted standing still, and moved far too fast for anyone to catch except Yoruichi, who flat-out refused to chase him. "The boy's been through hell for months and none of you ever gave a shit or tried to help him," she snarled at the captains of Eleventh and Sixth, whom Soul Society had sent to attempt to catch the elusive substitute soul reaper, "and frankly he deserves better than that. He's a sixteen year old _kid_- even you didn't make your first kill until you were over fifty, Kenpatchi. Nobody's even offered to talk to him about it. Can you even imagine how fucked up his mind is by now? Soul Society treats him like shit and I can't blame him for getting fed up. I'm amazed he bothers to even keep enough of an eye on us to keep us from getting killed by the stronger hollows he pops up to dispatch. By all rights, he should leave us to die."

Renji at that point chose to point out something, as he was an idiot. "We're his friends though. He'd die to protect us." "_And what have you ever done for him in return for that loyalty?!_" Yoruichi roared. "Watched his back in battle? Patched up his wounds? Offered him _company_ on one of those nights he was roaming around because he couldn't sleep; don't even _try_ to tell me you didn't know he was doing it because I know that all of you can sense reiatsu and his is unmistakable! No, none of you- none of _us_ did any of that! After all, he's the goddamn God of Battle, why would he need or even want someone to guard his back? He always goes to Orihime after battle so he doesn't need his wounds tended to, and he's a broody brat so he sure as hell doesn't need company! And you dare call yourselves his _friends_?!" Even Kenpatchi had the grace to look sheepish. Byakuya went so far at to look repentant. The kid was strong and sure as hell _was_ a god in battle, achieving Bankai in just three days, unable to seal his shikai. They forgot he was, well, a kid.

Almost a week later, Ichigo was coming out of the showers when he felt a familiar golden reiatsu envelop him. His eyes were hard when he looked up at see Kenpatchi perched on a rooftop….strangely, without his familiar battle-hungry grin. The huge man dropped down and stood beside the smaller, and his voice was quiet. "I ain't here ta fight. And I ain't gonna tell nobody where ya set up base either. This vacation 'o yers is deserved." Those hard eyes examined Kenpatchi for any signs of deceit, found none, and then nodded. "Come on. We can talk back at the apartment." Zaraki tamely followed the one he still considered his dominant, much like the well-trained canine he was. He had learned one hell of a lot during his extended time with the kid and was well trained to his attitudes, after all. In the apartment, Kenpatchi took the unleashing of Ichigo's hybridism at the cue to release his own, his ears almost immediately flattening contritely as his tail dropped sadly. "Look Ichigo, I've been an ass. Yoruichi chewed us all out. I'm sorry."

An ear flicking in the other's direction, the orange-haired Neko tossed a curious expression at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What've _you_ got to apologize for?" Following the death berry into the kitchen, Kenpatchi whimpered a little. He really wanted his….what was Ichigo? Best friend? Alpha? Sparring partner? In any case, he really wanted Ichigo to know that he was sorry. "I fought with you for a month. I learned your every battle pattern and attack until I could move exactly as you moved. And I never even offered ta watch yer back in a fight. Fuck, I never even offered ta take ya out drinkin', and I do that to even the shittiest recruits the division gets! I had the balls ta think of you as a friend and I forgot that friends'r s'posed ta take care of each other. Hell, I didn't even think 'o offerin' ta take ya ta th'Fourth after a sparrin' match an' sometimes ya really needed a medic." Returning to the main room with two cups of tea, one of which he handed Kenpatchi, the teen sat down and curled his tail around his legs with a shrug. "It was nothing big. I managed to deal." Tail still down, the wolf muttered, "You shouldn't've had ta deal with it. Ya deserve better. Ya've always deserved better."

The orange-furred ears twitched again as the smaller man –you really couldn't call him a boy anymore –took a sip of his tea. "It doesn't matter. What I do and do not deserve are irrelevant. I have what I have and will get what I will get. I deal. That's life. And as long as I am Soul Society's WMD, that's the way it will work. Particularly because I, as a weapon, have extreme potential. Being a teenage human, not even dead yet, considering my current power level the sheer possibility of how powerful I can _become_ is staggering. Any ruling power out there, be it Soul Society, Aizen, or anyone else, will want me on their side and preferably under their thumb. If they can't keep me under control, especially under total control, they are going to try and exterminate me before I reach even a portion of my true potential because, god forbid, if I reach the zenith of my power I will be damn close to invincible and unstoppable. So, quite frankly, either way I'm fucked."

Kenpatchi simply stared a moment, then took a gulp of tea to wet his dry throat. "I….fuck, Ich, I never realized that's….goddamn. Now I know why the old man didn't immediately turn it down when me, Kuchiki, Unohana and Ukitake recommended you for a captain's position one day in the far future. He wants to make you have more ties to him; to make you easier to control." Ichigo smiled, but it was grim and bitter. "Most likely." It was then that Kenpatchi Zaraki realized something Kisuke Urahara and Ishida Uryuu had figured out quite some time ago- Ichigo Kurosaki was one _hell_ of a lot smarter than he pretended to be. Kid was practically a tactical fucking genius underneath the front he made with his style of fighting. The fact that he hid his own intelligence made it obvious that he was even smarter than most people thought. Goddamn. He finished the tea just a little hastily, then stood and nuzzled Ichigo's head between the wonderfully soft ears gently.

"Sorry. If ya ever wan' me ta back ya up- against anyone, 'r anything, even Yama-jii, just tell me. I might nota watched yer back before, but I sure as hell will in th'future if ya wan'." Ichigo smiled a little ruefully. "I appreciate the gesture, Kenpatchi, but I'll be okay." The larger man whined a little. "if yer ever _not_ okay, ya can always come t'me." The slim orange tail brushed along a scarred cheek affectionately. "I'll be sure to remember that." Kenpatchi left, ears still down and tail still tucked, and true to his word never breathed a word of where the berry was, not even to Yachiru. A week before the winter war was due to be officially "started", Ichigo returned home; not that anyone besides Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Sihoun knew. Ichigo had obviously been doing _something_ in his time away- his hold over his reiatsu was flawless, he could perform every kido there was without the chant (but had a little trouble with the healing ones yet), and his battle style was a complete change. No longer did he swing blindly or charge ahead. In fact, he made no unnecessary movement at all, not even to talk.

Actually, he didn't talk at all. He never seemed to change expressions, either. It was like having a second Byakuya, but even the Kuchiki head would occasionally lose his temper, and his expression changed to suit the situation, so it was infinitely worse. He also seemed to no longer require sleep, because no matter the hour you could find him on his roof staring at the stars or polishing Zangetsu if he wasn't off killing an Arrancar or hollow. Imagine the boy's surprise when Ulquiorra approached him, sword sheathed in a gesture of peace, upon that very rooftop. Returning the gesture, Ichigo placed Zangetsu on his back (he was no longer uncultured enough to sling his soul-partner around like a common practice sword) and sat up as straight as possible, visibly giving the cuarta espada his full attention. "It has come to my attention," the pale man began carefully, "that you appear to have potential. You are not, perhaps, the trash I first pronounced you to be. Watching your improvements over the time in which you clashed repeatedly with Grimmjow, I find you….interesting." Now imagine Ulquiorra's shock when Ichigo's oddly pleasant tenor sounded through the arrancar's mind. _Though you speak the truth, I know there is much more. Honestly, I'm flattered that Aizen would consider me enough of a threat to try and bring me to his side and/or acquire a spy to monitor my progress._

Ulquiorra blinked as he tried to deny the words, though they rang true deep inside him. "No, I am truly interested in you." A deep chuckle. _Oh, I know that. I also know your kind- tricky tricky, but I am not as stupid as you think. You would never do anything of this magnitude without Aizen's express permission, or better yet, on his orders. You keep my true intelligence –and the span of my abilities –quiet for me and I'll make sure your plan to take Aizen down never reaches him no matter the source. Sound like a good deal? I'll even pretend to take you into my confidence so you don't have to lie to Aizen 'bout yer mission._ Clearing his throat, Ichigo finally spoke, his voice raspy from disuse. "How….how good are you….at keeping secrets?" The espada, tense from what Ichigo had said, sighed a little. "Very good, Kurosaki-san. After all, I've yet to tell Szayel exactly which of his superiors let his research subjects loose, and I would rather like to see that particular comrade be forced to drink one of Szayel's concoctions." The boy laughed.

The laugh, however, was rustier from disuse than his voice. "So Grimmjow did it, hmm?" Ulquiorra allowed a corner of his mouth to inch up just the tiniest bit. "No. It was another Espada, one you have not yet had the displeasure of meeting. It would, however, do the trash good to be forced to gestate thanks to Szayel impregnating him with a new experimental liquid." Ichigo smirked, and it was the most evil expression Ulquiorra had seen in months. "Gestate….that means he would be stuck being pregnant the full nine months then? Pray tell, from where is the baby going to exit him?" The short Espada nearly let a chuckle slip. This young man was more than nearly anyone gave him credit for. "His species actually gestates for twelve months. I suppose the offspring would have to be surgically removed." Without reserve, Ichigo grinned and slapped his thigh as he laughed cruelly. "If Szayel ever finds out and this superior of his is forced to drink the 'Miracle Potion', you _have_ to tell me. I want to be there to see him live through hell."

A low growl rumbled throughout the room as Ulquiorra's eye powder finally wore off. Blue eyes glaring coldly, Grimmjow looked up at Aizen. "Aizen-sama, you know any soul reapers who have illusionary abilities? That sure as shit wasn't Kurosaki." "On the contrary," Ulquiorra replied, "it was indeed Ichigo Kurosaki. As the extremely loud female pointed out weeks ago, his reiatsu is unmistakable. There can be no doubt that the vindictive teenager I spoke with was Kurosaki himself." A large hand raked harshly through teal hair as those oceanic blue eyes closed tightly. "Fuck. Fuck. Shit. What the fucking hell happened to him while he was gone?! It had to be fucking big to generate this kind of a personality change." Aizen steepled his fingers in front of his face, eyes half-lidded. "Grimmjow is correct. Whatever happened must have been extreme. Ulquiorra, you will do your utmost to find out what occurred while mister Kurosaki was away." Kneeling still, the cuarta bowed his head. "As you wish, Aizen-sama. It will be done."

In Urahara's underground training field, Ichigo stretched and poked at the bottom of his bare feet with a scowl even more thunderous than his former customary one. The hybridism apparently wasn't done with him. After the whiskers had come patterns on his ears and tail, which had previously been solid orange unless transformed, and now he had spongy, callous-like formations on the bottoms his feet and palms of his hands. The rough, desensitized skin made for good gripping, but it showed up on his human body as well and had recently turned a darker color than the rest of his skin, only slightly, but enough to be noticeable. With a sigh, he simply decided that he'd have to swear off socks even in soul form and pick up some fingerless gloves for when he needed to appear normal. Hell, what _was_ normal anymore? Forcibly distracting himself from that depressing line of thought, he was sharpening his claws (having moved to the roof) when Grimmjow dropped down beside him. Ichigo's tail twitched, once, and then he ignored the other man.

"Shinigami." Not so much as a hair stirred. "Kurosaki." An ear trembled as he consciously directed it not to flick toward the sound of his name. "Ichigo." Both ears flattened to block out that too-familiar tone. "Ichi." Orange fur rippled over a sleek tail, almost bristling. "Strawberry." In an instant Grimmjow found himself pinned beneath a very pissed off hybrid, ten perfectly spaced claw lines torn through the flesh of his chest and four decorating his left cheek as every hair on the teen's body stood upright with fury. "Don't even fucking _dare_ call me that, Jaquerjaques." The blunet winced at the sound of his last name. Shit, he'd fucked _up_. He hadn't known he _could_ fuck up that badly with someone he practically shared his soul with. Then again….it had been some time since he had been able to connect reiatsus. Even now he got stonewalled when he tried it. Hell.

This time he'd fucked up _bad_. He was distracted from his abysmal stupidity by the arrival of one hella powerful reiatsu, which was connected to a silver-haired man who looked like he could've been a model and felt like he could've been a Soul Reaper captain. The man appeared to be slightly worried. "I felt your reiatsu spike; what's the matter Ichi?" What happened next made Grimmjow see red and want to cry at the same time. The elusive dark blue he'd been chasing for so long reached over and fit to the green of the stranger's with the easy familiarity of a lover, as smoothly as a key into a lock. Worse, he could _see_ the messages whirling across it, fast as thought, because that's exactly what it was. His Ichigo, his beautiful, amazing, stronger-than-fuck Ichi, shared his thoughts with a stranger when he wouldn't even let Grimmjow _think_ about the same thing. Grimmjow had been given that. He'd had it for a month. And _fuck_ it all, he missed it! Hurt, confused, sad, and privately humiliated, Grimmjow did the only thing he knew how to do with "mushy" emotions like those. He channeled them all into red-hot rage and lashed out.

[A/N]Third chapter within two weeks, as promised! Now, I know where I _want_ to go for chapter four, but thise lately has started to write itself so I have NO idea if it'll go there, especially with where I'm starting it- shit! I wasn't suppose to tell you I'm already almost a page into chapter four!


	4. Revelations

Chapter 4

Throwing Ichigo off him, Grimmjow howled his fury. Sure, he'd been the one to fuck up, but couldn't Ichigo have at least tried to fix it? Yes, yes, it was _Ichigo's_ fault for disconnecting, for refusing to let him share his apology with the smaller male. How could he _replace_ him?! How fucking dare he?! Uncaring of the consequences, Grimmjow was about to release when he found Pantera was missing. What the fuck? His eyes immediately fastened on Ichigo, who was staring at him again, his expression that horrible blankness, but whose eyes showed….amusement. Then, wordlessly, he pointed to his hip. There, almost as if that was where he was meant to be, sat Pantera. The Sexta could hear the baritone voice of the sword purring contently and scowled. Fucking traitor. (He conveniently forgets that Pantera is his hollow form manifested in cold steel and thus is a reflection of his inner feelings. He does a lot of convenient forgetting, have you noticed?) He'd get him back anyway. What he hadn't been counting on was Ichigo's strange new style of fighting. It freaked him out, to see how similar he was to Ulquiorra.

It also pissed him off. The kid had already clawed him up good, and was putting up so strong a defense that every time Grimmjow attacked he retreated with more wounds. Few things pissed the panther arrancar off more than Ulquiorra, but getting his ass kicked by someone who _acted_ like Ulquiorra was probably up near the top of the list. Simply put, the man lost it. He started attacking all out, not caring that he was taking more and more damage. He didn't even seem to care that he wasn't even landing hits anymore, just wildly lashing out. After a few moments of this, Ichigo sighed and sheathed his sword. "Kensei," he said hoarsely, "go back to the others. I can easily handle this temper tantrum." _Temper_- oh that was fucking it. Without letting himself pause to think, he pounced, quite literally, on the boy. He was promptly catapulted off with little effort as the silver-haired man seemingly beat a hasty retreat. Apparently, something had scared him.

Catching the man and spinning him around in succession as he lunged repeatedly at him, Ichigo mused to himself that Grimmjow really was one hell of a lot like the cat he evolved from. The purring, the attraction to warm (and shiny) objects….and throwing a violent, clawing temper tantrum when things didn't go his way. It was almost absently that he kicked the blunet in the chest to force him away after another lunge, and it was because he wasn't paying really close attention that, on the next lunge, his foot went right through the hole in Grimmjow's abdomen. Standing there with one leg through another being's middle was distinctly uncomfortable, and frankly as awkward as fuck. He felt his ears pin back with displeasure. "This…..is an unforeseen issue," the teen rasped at last, thinking to himself that at least it had stopped Grimmjow dead. Apparently, it felt just as weird to the other man.

Oooh, did it _ever_. Grimmjow hadn't known there _could _be a more awkward feeling than walking in on Nnoitra after drinking one of Szayel's hell potions that turned him female and finding the man actually attractive, but having an opponent stick his leg directly through your hollow hole was definitely worse. What made it particularly bad was the fact that not only was the feeling extremely odd…..but that it also for some reason was making him aroused. "Yes," Grimmjow rasped back. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Backing off, physically _and _mentally, the larger man let out a sigh of relief when the feeling of something _in_ him was gone and raked a hand through his hair. "That jus' killed my whole reason fer fightin'." Ichigo snorted. "I would imagine. Don't think I'd feel much like fightin' either after-" he paused, sniffing the air. "Your scent's changed." Well shit.

Grimmjow was going to hell for this. He just knew it. He was lusting after a _cub_ for chrissakes, wanted to dominate him and then fuck him up the nearest wall until the berry couldn't walk. Yeah, he was definitely going to hell. But, as long as he'll be making the trip, why not make it worthwhile? (Nothing good can come of this line of thinking. Nothing good for Ichigo, anyway. Don't you all just love me at this moment?) So, acting on those long-trusted instincts, Grimmjow went and opened his mouth. "'Course it did. Can't ya tell arousal when ya scent it?" Orange eyebrows rose to nearly meet the hairline above them. "Haven't had much experience with it, so I'm afraid I don't. I'll make a note of it." The blunet's shoulders slumped as he gaped at the slender male. "Haven't- good fucking hell, man, are you completely oblivious?! The scent oughta be permanently imprinted in yer mind by now with all th'people ya got pantin' after you!"

Ichigo blinked, then tilted his head to the side. "What the hell are you talking about?" Facepalming, Grimmjow realized that no matter how much the Death Berry changed, he would apparently forever be oblivious to the emotions of the people around him. One day, that would come and bite him in the ass. Or, maybe, it already had? Beneath his hand, a fanged grin began to stretch across the larger man's wide mouth. "I'm talkin'," he said slyly as he sidled up to the teen, "'bout the fact tha' yer the handsomest bastard anybody's seen in hundreds 'o years. Th'fact tha' yer graceful, an' lean, and so. Goddamn. Edible."

Orange-furred ears flicked rapidly back and forth between upright in attention and flat with unease as the orange-haired young man backed up a little, tail curving around in a shielding gesture over his hips. "I'm– not. I-I– you lie. I'm just a-a-a– you lie, you bastard." Grimmjow could just feel the surprise and discomfort radiating from the boy. Blue eyes narrowed. Did the boy think he was somehow….unattractive? What would give him that idea? "I'm a bastard, an asshole, an' a whole hell of a lot of other things, but I ain't a liar, _Ichigo_. Yer one 'o the most beautiful beings I've ever seen, an' in four hundred years ya see a damn lot of dif'rent beings, ugly an' beautiful." Ears stayed flattened, nearly lost in the spiky orange hair. "You lie, I know you do! Nobody's _ever_ attracted to me like you say they are! The most they want outta me is a quick fuck- I'm not an idiot! They don't like me as a person, and barely as a body!" The younger was backing up further now, and the Arrancar quickly surmised that the other was beginning to feel caged, to look for escape routes. Not good. If he freaked the kid out and made him bolt, he'd never catch him again- there were few things faster than Ichi, and Grimmjow was not one of them.

"But they do. Ain't ya ever noticed that one chick with the tits fuckin' adores you? I think she'd commit seppuku, no questions asked, if ya told her to. An' that Tatsuki girl- hell, when she found out you'd left she tried ta _kill_ the Kuchiki clan head. I don' think that one likes ya tha' way, but she sure as hell likes _you_. The redheaded Shinigami dog was like a kicked puppy when Yoruichi chewed 'em all out- I think 'e might like ya too, bu' with Soul Reapers it's fuckin' near impossible to be sure." Ichigo's fur was bristling. "Not true," he whispered, "can't be true. No. Nobody gives a shit, and if I disappear after the war's over everybody's better off. They can't like me, they _can't_. I can't leave if it'll hurt them." Grimmjow felt the equivalent of his own ears pinning back. The ki- the _young man_ thought far too much about others and way too little about his own safety.

A little voice at the back of his head scolded him. He hadn't realized- nobody had- that Ichigo was…..insecure. He wasn't sure of himself the way he used to be; it was almost as if he wasn't comfortable in his own skin. He put himself after everyone else, as if he was unimportant, worthless. Too much compassion. Personally, he'd never had that problem. Being a hollow, you put yourself first or you get eaten. The Death Berry, however, seemed to have his priorities screwed up. Hell, he probably put his _enemy's_ condition to be of more importance than his own! Are they dead, are they alive, how wounded are they, can they still fight, could they be an ally…….and then, somewhere far down the line of questions, how long can Ichigo stay standing? Grimmjow had a sneaking suspicion the answer was _until everybody else has been taken care of_. He seemed to think he was useless, worthless…..unattractive as a person. Where had his confidence gone?

Grimmjow being, well, Grimmjow, he voiced this question, adding, "An' why in th'hell ain't ya aware 'o all the people that'd kill fer a date with ya?" Ichigo's muscles were tense and almost shaking; if Grimmjow wasn't careful with his words the boy could bolt at the slightest indication that the situation had escalated. "It's just…..just the hormones. From mating season. It's just…..it's nothing. I know it is." The arrancar wanted to take the substitute soul reaper by his shoulders and shake him. He didn't dare though, for fear of a slight movement setting the other off. "Yer wrong, Shinigami. Mating season hormones and pheromones can only heighten attraction tha's already there; they don't _cause_ someone to like ya. They can only make 'em _realize_ they like ya." _Like they did to me._

The teen's upper lip curled to bare his teeth. "Bullshit. They– if _that's_ the way it works then all those kids who used to gang up on me wouldn'ta been on my tail all fuckin' season! I can't think of anybody that hates me worse than them except you, Aizen, and Byakuya!" Good, good, agitation is bad, but aggressive agitation is good, it meant he would be more inclined towards fight than flight. Though this reckoning that Grimmjow hated him would have to be corrected. "Ya really are dense, Shinigami. Why d'ya think I hate ya?" Ichigo glared, his tail lashing. "Oh, maybe 'cuz you're a lying cheating spying betraying bastard? Who deserves to be hung by his balls from the ceiling of Los Noches until death?" The blunet flinched. "Oooh, harsh Ichi. I'm a bastard, I'll grant ya tha', but where'd the rest come from?" The smaller man abruptly crouched, weight shifting to the balls of his feet as his muscles bunched. "You spied on me for Aizen. I can forgive a lot, Grimmjow…..but giving information on me to anybody without me knowing is one of the few things I cannot. I'll give anyone a second chance. I never give a third."

Before Grimmjow could reply, Ichigo had bolted. Fuck!!! Taking off after the younger male, he desperately prayed to a god he didn't believe in that Ichigo wasn't actually running and had only spotted a hollow or something. When he saw a massive hollow ahead, roaring and firing arrowlike missiles, he breathed a brief thanks. When the smaller man paused to draw Zangetsu, he had to blink in surprise, because in that instant Grimmjow overtook him and pounced on the hollow with a snarl. In less than a minute, the angry arrancar had literally punched fifteen holes in the big hollows' body, torn it in half, and consumed it. Watching the other's numerous injuries heal themselves, Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "That's quite an ace you have up your sleeve, liar." The other's head cocked to the side in a feline movement. "I've _told_ ya, Ichi, I ain't a liar! 'Sides, tha's hardly an ace. Where'm I gonna find a hollow ta eat in th'middle 'o battle? Ya already knew Arrancar are hollow-based an' hollows eat other hollows, so what the hell was I lyin' 'bout?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer, then paused and tilted his head, ears swiveling as if trying to pinpoint a noise. He listened a moment, then winced and returned his attention to the enemy/former companion that was still staring at him. "It's nothing, doesn't matter. You'll find out sooner or later. I gotta go…….see you around, I suppose." Then he was gone. Grimmjow took special note that the other had said 'see you around'. That meant if he saw the larger man, he wouldn't immediately bolt. Praise be, maybe he had a chance to save his relationship with the smaller man after all. Now he had another thing to figure out- what in the _hell_ had Ichi heard to make him wince like that? It was then, as he puzzled over the hybrid, that he realized something extremely important- Ichigo hadn't spoken more than two sentences to anyone in weeks. But when Grimmjow was around, the young man was almost himself again, arguing and yelling at the top of his voice.

In another part of the city, Ichigo was balancing on the points of a wooden fence as he walked beside Moreav. He'd heard the man calling for him and upon arrival, found the Oriole with tattered, broken wings and pained, dull eyes. After forcing the man to Orihime's for healing, the Neko was trailing alongside the other while patiently waiting for him to speak. Soon enough, he did. "I cannot seem to find a lifemate. I have tried all different kinds and I have yet to find a man who loves me." Ichigo's tail flicked angrily. "There's someone out there. I know there is. If you want….." he paused a moment, then sighed, "if you want, I can introduce you to another avian. He's short…and he looks like he's about ten even though he's much older…and he's got a temper, though he'd never harm anyone who hasn't already harmed him. He's a…..a….damn it, what species was it again…?" He furrowed his brow, not seeing that Moreav was grinning as he watched the panther-cheetah crossbreed contemplate the species of a bird, whom he would normally be trying to eat, that he wanted to pair with another bird. If the kid had been interested, Moreav would've dated him in a heartbeat. Really was a pity Ichigo needed someone on par with his strength.

"Oh right- he's an Egret!" Moreav was intrigued- Egrets are temperamental and intelligent, and in avian society very strong as well. They were also beautiful. Always so, so beautiful it almost hurt the eyes. Unlike Swans or Peacocks however, they were not haughty, and took mates based on personality rather than plumage. Egrets were extremely desirable as mates for their loyalty and endless capacity for love. It also didn't hurt that when an Egret in their demi form spread their wings it was like watching diamonds unfurl in the sunlight, captivating and awe-inspiring. Fluffing his wings, with a few downstrokes the Oriole was hovering next to Ichigo as they continued on their way. "I…I would like to meet your Egret. He sounds…interesting." The Neko grinned. "He is. He really is."

Ichigo knew that playing matchmaker was a strange pastime, especially with Captains of the Sereitei, but he just couldn't resist. Toshiro would be over the moon to meet another avian hybrid, even if the two didn't wind up romantically involved. Still, he hoped the two found love with each other. After the slew of abusive bastards Moreav had dealt with and the total lack of interest due to his appearance Toshiro was used to, he figured pairing them up with someone he knew they could trust would work out quite nicely. Well, at least he hoped it would. Leaving Moreav with Orihime for more healing, Ichigo returned to his rooftop and sat, deciding he wanted to relax a little. Stretching out, he reached into his room and pulled out a bulging shoulder bag by the strap from where it was stored on his bed. Sitting crosslegged, he pulled out a few pencils and a sketchpad, then set to work. What he came out with surprised even him- it was a sketch of Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and himself, all piled together on a couch. He was in his hybrid form, and Grimmjow was in about the same form but with teal fur and turquoise markings, and Ulquiorra was apparently some variety of canine- wolf, or perhaps even fox, it was hard to tell.

He stared blankly at the picture for a few moments, then abruptly his ears pinned back and he tore the sheet out of the book and shoved it into the depths of his bag. He couldn't destroy it, it was far too beautiful, but he sure as hell didn't want anyone else to see it. EVER. His tail was bottlebrushed, displaying his unease long after he'd moved on to sketching safer subjects like Toshiro, Kenpatchi, Renji, and Yachiru in their hybrid states, standing together against some unseen enemy. The war-hungry grin Kenpatchi wore took some time to get perfect; the man had such a wide mouth, and several sharp teeth that showed so prominently it sent chills down the spines of almost any opponent he faced. Grimmjow, the teen remembered, had a wide mouth like that. Gah! He was thinking about him again!

Scowling, Ichigo drew and redrew Toshiro's face, brows furrowed in concentration. The young-looking captain had a distinct "disinterested but angry" expression almost eternally plastered on, and it was difficult to capture in paper and graphite. He did eventually manage to capture it. Yachiru was easy, but producing such childish innocence made Ichigo mourn for how much innocence he had lost. He drew Renji with all the passion that the man himself possessed, long hair flying wildly in an unseen wind as he swung Zabimaru. Renji…..he was a dog hybrid. Tilting his head to one side, Ichigo let his gray-smudged fingers trace over the lines of Renji's face delicately. They got along fairly well for being opposing animals. Did Renji have a mate yet? He didn't think so….or at least not a lifemate. Frowning, the teen unconsciously traced his lips as he considered, unknowingly darkening them, and then he shook his head. No, he couldn't ask that much of Renji. Who would want a scrawny little hybrid with too much power anyway? But maybe it would be worth it to find out if Renji was interested in the less tender gender.

With a sigh that was entirely too heartfelt, Ichigo bit on his thumbnail as his eyes closed. Ten days without sleep….medically, with his height and weight he couldn't stay up another night or he risked dying or at the very least severely compromising his human body. And, of course, he was tired, but he was used to that. Even when he had been on a normal sleeping pattern and was going to bed at night, his sleep would be smattered with periods of wakefulness that cropped up between sleep cycles- usually he didn't get more than two hours of sleep before he was up again, darting out in soul form to kill a random hollow, only to find he was too hyped on adrenaline to go back to sleep directly after. Typically, he was lucky to get as much as four hours of sleep and a fucking miracle if he managed six or seven. What a pity. He didn't know if he even _could_ get to sleep…. Rubbing a hand over his face, his ears perked at the familiar sound of Ulquiorra approaching.

When he looked up, he was surprised to see that the cuarta espada had an expression akin to worry on. "You look unwell, Ichigo Kurosaki. What is wrong?" Tapping his lip with one clawed forefinger, he waited a moment before answering. "Ulquiorra…..how long can an Arrancar go without sleep?" The black brows furrowed, and after another quiet moment he answered hesitantly. "A week. After seven days or so we will collapse from exhaustion and remain in a catatonic state until our energies have been restored." A small smile twisted the darkened red lips. "Then I've already outlasted you Arrancars by about three days. The only problem is I don't think I _can_ sleep; if I don't, however, I'll probably die. Bit of a problem, wouldn't you say?" Without his permission, Ulquiorra felt his eye widening. "Surely there is something that can be done to make you sleep, Kurosaki? For you to be dead would mean I would never get a break from you- that is something neither of us want." Ichigo laughed. "Sure, but I have to be careful."

His smile turning wry, he didn't bother to explain in words. His eyes said it all- _I can't trust anyone enough to use those methods_. Again without his permission, the black lips of Ulquiorra twisted downward in a distinct scowl. It appeared he'd picked up something from Kurosaki. "Very well. I shall leave you to your own devices." Once the cuarta had left through a garganta, most likely to directly give a report to Aizen, Ichigo levered himself up and grabbed his bag. In a flash of shunpo, he appeared at Urahara's front door. In a special secure room, Ichigo clipped four wrist bands that ate reiatsu like Kenpatchi's eye patch and then added the eye patch for good measure- if he was constantly losing enough reiatsu at once, he'd be literally unable to stay conscious. If anything came up, though, they would automatically disengage and he'd wake up instantly. Sure enough, the reiatsu eaters were working wonderfully and as he felt the cold seep into his bones from the lack of his overabundant power, he dropped into an exhausted sleep.

Waking a solid forty-eight hours later, Ichigo stretched much like the cat he was before rising. Scratching behind his ears and coaxing a slight purr out of himself with it, he changed into the fresh clothes he'd brought with him and left. Thanks to Yoruichi he was granted pretty much unrestricted access to the shop and everything in it. It worked out very nicely in his favor, if he did say so himself. His hands behind his head, he wandered through the streets of Karakura. He felt wonderfully refreshed. If he weren't needed to stick around just in case Aizen launched a surprise attack, he'd hop on the train and go back to The Club. He was just in the mood for a good fight about now. "Oi Ichigo!" Hmmm, maybe he would be getting one. His reiatsu stretching back to the man, the teen answered without looking. _Yes Renji?_ The other male caught up to him, and you could practically see his fluffy husky tail wagging. "I love it when you do that. Your voice is all husky and hurty now, but your reiatsu voice is like meat fresh off the grill that's fallin' off th'bone." _Why is it that all your compliments are centered around food, canine?_

Hearing the chuckle in his friend's tone, the dog took no offense. "Because food is the most important thing in a dog's life of course- well, food an' fucking, but with the war goin' on I'm pretty much dead on the love life." Sticking out his tongue, Ichigo laughed. _Serves you right. If I, the one who's expected to save Soul Society and the rest of the world, isn't getting laid, then you shouldn't either._ Renji hugged his friend (and Alpha, though he was careful not to tell Ichigo _or_ anyone else about that) around the waist and nuzzled the back of his neck. "Well you're lookin' for a lifemate an' I'm not. So how's _that_ fair? I mean, Shuuhei has offered but…..he used to be my senpai. I can't really think of him as anything else. And screwing your upperclassman is just weird." _Says the man who got his ass beaten by an underclassman ryoka._ The teen snorted, making Renji pout. "But you're _you_! Gettin' my ass beat by YOU is a totally different thing than if I got my ass handed to me by, say, Kira." An orange eyebrow rose. _Kira? Kira couldn't beat the first years at the academy- it would be against his nature. That's why Wabisuke only makes your bow your head in penitence rather than force you to your knees for execution._

The red head paused, bringing Ichigo to a halt. "You've actually spent time thinking about that, haven't you?" A small, embarrassed blush appeared on the humans' cheeks. _Ah, um, yeah, I've sorta been analyzing the zanpakuto of all the people I know…. Since your zanpakuto is a physical manifestation of your soul, that means your sword spirit is the way __**you**__ are, really deep down. What did you think I was doing those two months I was gone? Did you figure I was on vacation? I was training with Zangestu. By the way, if I'm half as bad as he is, I don't know how you guys stand me. Being around him for more than six hours drove me up the goddamn wall, I swear._ A little surprised, Renji stared at the boy. The things this kid went through for his friends…..his family…. Even for the innocents he didn't know. It was mind-boggling. Abruptly Renji felt terrible for not remembering what he had the first time he fought Ichigo on the streets of Karakura.

He remembered blocking that massive kitchen knife with Zabimaru and being afraid his sealed spiritual pressure wouldn't be enough to help his soul partner hold against this- this _force of nature_ bearing down on him. But in the back of his mind, he tempered his fear with the realization that the one trying to force him to submit was still only a human. He may be wearing a soul reaper shihakusho but he was no death god with years of schooling, training, and strife under his belt. When his captain had the gall to use flash step to sever the boy's soul chain and spiritual pressure chain, Renji had in no way approved. It had been Rukongai all over again, with the Devil Soul Reapers destroying another nearly-helpless life just because it was there. He could never say it to his captain's face, but his hatred for noble families and particularly for Clan Heads, which had begun to wane, had been reaffirmed that night and still was stronger than ever. It was one of the reasons he had made sure his captain hadn't been on a patrol on Rukongai for months, and if a mission involving Ichigo ever came up Renji went on it himself.

Ichigo stretched a little, bringing Renji back to the present. "Yer just grumpy sometimes, but you're good at wrestling and always make room for us on your bed. It ain't hard to get along with you. Besides, we all get that weird warm fuzzy feeling around you. We still don't get it, 'cuz it only happens around you, but I swear…..it's fucking amazing. Bein' around ya ain't no chore, Ichi. 'S a privilege." The teen's expression was a strange one that Renji couldn't identify. _If you say so. This is gonna seem like it's outta the blue, Ren, but what's your sexuality?_ The red-haired male tilted his head and whined a little in confusion. "What's 'sexalty'?" Ichigo's reverberating laugh sent shiver of pleasure down the other hybrid's spine. _Sexuality, my Soul Reaper _compadre_, is which gender a person likes. Homosexuals are attracted to people of the same gender, heterosexuals are attracted to the opposite gender, bisexuals are attracted to both, and asexual people don't feel sexual attraction at all. Personally, I'm bisexual but lean more toward men than I do women. All the years of being smothered in Orihime's chest have given me some immunity to female beauty._ Renji could feel the fur of the dog inside him bristling in excitement. Ichigo liked men? Then Renji had a shot with him!

Not noticing that he was the cause of his friend's sudden mood upswing, Ichigo didn't protest when the redhead's arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him hip-to-hip with the other. The fire-haired man's energy was catching, and the teen found himself feeling playful in the non-violent way, which was a feeling he hadn't had in quite a while. Resting his chin on the taller man's shoulder, his eyes twinkled up at the other as he inquired silkily, _Hey Ren…..wanna play a game?_ A shudder rippled through tattooed muscles, invisible to anyone not touching him directly. That voice, that _husky silky beautiful __**sex voice**_ did THINGS to Renji. He had to clear his throat to force sound past his suddenly dry lips. "What….what kind of game, Ichi?" The smaller man's expression made Renji desperately wish the boy had his ears and tail out because it would give more information on his mood and intentions. _A simple game, Renji. I am feeling better than I have in quite a while, and I want to play. Not to fight, but play. So I want to play a game of speed and stamina. I want to play a game of chasing. Once the other has been caught, we switch who runs and who chases. Will you chase me?_ Renji's shudder was more noticeable this time.

Such a 'game' appealed to all of Renji's senses. His human side was rather fond of stamina training as it usually involved long, calming jogs that allowed him to move and think at the same time, while the dog just liked to run and chase, especially if he was chasing anything feline. Now chasing _Ichigo_ of all felines was a whole other matter; chasing often preceded courting and mating with dogs and he wanted to court Ichigo very badly. There was, unfortunately, the little matter of him swearing to the one he wanted to court that he had no intentions of settling down within the next five hundred years. That pretty well killed his chances and he knew it because Ichigo would accept no less than a lifemate. He had paired up temporarily during The Heat, as it had come to be called, but he knew Ichigo hadn't. The teen had mentioned it in passing, but now Renji wondered what had happened during that time. He needed to think, and he knew just how he would get the ball rolling. "Sure, Ichi. A game of Chase sounds good to me." Hopping up onto the nearby roof, with Renji following, the feline hybrid took a crouched position. _Ready? Three, two, one….GO!_ The moment his smaller friend bolted, the dog knew he wasn't giving his all. That was okay though- it was only a game after all. He'd never catch him if they ran for real.

The two ran on all fours with long, practiced strides. Ichigo's way was a cat's rapidly-making-small-leaps-at-high-speeds way of hunting down prey; Renji used the easy, can-run-this-way-for-hours-and-the-prey-will-wear-out-before-I-do lope of a wolf traveling with its pack. From roof to roof, around Karakura in an infinite loop, they ran. Occasionally one would put on a burst of speed, tag the other, and then they would switch positions. It stayed gentle, though, a game. It gave Renji time to continue his thoughts. The Heat had been insane, driving every hybrid absolutely mad with need. He only knew because, lost in the depths of his own heat, he had heard the other hybrids calling their pleasure, screaming it. Even those in the human world had been heard; the only voice that _hadn't_ reached his ears had been Ichigo's. He couldn't understand why. Mayuri and Urahara had both warned that anyone who did not take a mate during The Heat risked death in the most excruciating manner possible because they were not yet well enough adjusted to their new natures. The more power you had, the more dangerous it was to go it alone; they had specifically warned that all those above fifth-seat in power classification _should not_, under any circumstances, endure The Heat alone or death was a certainty.

Ichigo wasn't dead, so he couldn't have gone it alone……could he? Then again, this is _Ichigo_ they were talking about- he'd already done all manner of things previously considered impossible. He was the exception to almost every rule of Soul Society, so what was one more? He hoped he hadn't gone it alone, though, because that would mean pain beyond imagining. The one who was chasing at the moment, and sufficiently sweaty and de-energized, Renji pounced onto his human friend's back and nuzzled his neck. The teen, though mildly surprised, kept running even with his new passenger, taking the pair towards Urahara's. His hidden tail wagging at the strength and persistence of the ones he wanted to court, Renji inquired, "Hey Ichigo, who did you spend your Heat with?" The man under him jolted a bit, almost losing stride, but then continued on. _Nobody. Why would I? I take a mate for life only. I don't take a mate just for my heat._ A chill went up Renji's spine. The Heat hadn't been particularly emphasized when the teen had spoken, which meant he hadn't placed much importance on it or on that he hadn't spent it with anyone. What sort of hell had he gone through? Renji was scared to imagine it.

"You were….alone? But Ichigo, Urahara warned us that anyone above fifth-seat level in power had to take a meat for The Heat or they would die a horrifying, painful death, and you're at least low to high-Captain class or extremely high lieutenant! Why would you endanger your life that way?!" Ichigo did pause now, looking back over his shoulder at Renji as they skidded to a stop. _What? When did Hat-N-Clogs say __**that**__?! When- no, WHERE did this meeting at which this was announced take place?!_ Renji swallowed hard; now that he thought about it, he didn't remember seeing Ichigo that day. "About…..a week before The Heat. We thought…..we thought Urahara had told you. Whenever something like this comes up, you're the first one he tells……oh gods, Ichigo, I'm so sorry. I can't believe no-one though to check that you knew. I…I can't….we shouldn't have let you risk your life like that. If you- promise me something Ichigo. Promise that if you haven't found a lifemate by the next Heat, you'll take a temporary mate. _Promise_ me Ichigo, please, I swear I'll take you as my lifemate if you'll have me should there be nobody else you're courting or interested in, just don't put yourself through that again!"

Below the bigger man, the teen's eyes narrowed. _I will __**not**__ take a mate out of fucking PITY, Renji. You insult me!_ The older man whimpered, unable to help it. "It's not pity! I really like and desire you! I would court you if I could but I didn't think…. I didn't think you'd want me. I'm sorry. I know you're not interested in me as a mate now, but….you can think of me as a back-up. Even if the one you have chosen to court and mate rejects you….I never will. If there's anything you need, I'll always have my door open to you. And if your mate ever betrays you…..well. I know you'll be first in line to rip 'em apart, but let me know so I can be right behind YOU." Ichigo's eyes stayed narrowed, but his stance lost its' aggression and he resumed his path towards the shop. _I….appreciate the gesture, Renji, but I….I don't think you should do that to yourself. While it would be nice for me to have someone to fall back on, you should have someone too. Just because you can't have me doesn't mean you shouldn't let yourself get involved with anyone. I'll only promise if you also promise me that you won't outright reject any chance you might have a love out of a desire to keep yourself open should I find myself needing you._

Renji's jaw tightened, as did his arms around the other's neck. "Okay, Ichi….I promise. But I reserve the right to abandon anything I think prudent so I can help you out if you need it." The teen nodded, touching down in front of the Shoten and letting his friend off. Once the other was inside, Ichigo glared furiously at a nearby rooftop that held one particular blue-haired Espada. Without moving from his place, Grimmjow let his rough voice cross the distance between them. "Shinigami…..if yer th'first in line an' the redheaded shinigami dog is th'second, then I'm reservin' third place." Without giving the other time to respond, he disappeared through a gargantua. Ichigo stared at it, then hissed at the empty air, spat on the ground, and followed Renji inside. He couldn't do anything now.

Listening to a one-sided conversation and trying to figure out the other side from body language was difficult. Really, really difficult. But it had been worth it. Grimmjow's sharp ears had caught the specific intonation the redheaded dog had put on "The Heat" and he didn't know why, but the thought that Ichigo's stubbornness could have killed him made him uneasy. Very uneasy. The redhead's offer made him even more uneasy and angry as well. How could dare that damn dog even _consider_ that he was worthy enough to offer himself as a potential mate! Especially when he knew that Ichi wasn't interested! Then again, it was at least respectful of the fact that Ichi didn't want him; he hadn't expected a soul reaper, even one that stank so strong of dog, to know how to respect such boundaries. He was so pissed off! He knew better than to attack the dog though- there was no quicker way into his Ichi's permanent Black Books than to attack someone he considered a friend, and the redhead was obviously a very close friend if he was allowed that close.

When his rage had cleared, Grimmjow had taken a few moments to figure out a few things. Yes, he wanted the cub for a Mate. The life-long, soul-binding, forever-until-death commitment of a hollow to his other half. No, he didn't know why. He didn't care either. He had discovered he really, _really_ didn't like being in the Black Books of the one he wanted to Mate; being anywhere near the top of the kid's Black Book Kill List was not a pleasant thing, as he'd train unceasingly until he could kick your ass and proceed to kill you. He'd never admit it to anyone else, but Ichigo's current power levels scared him. It was like facing down a less arrogant Barragan, or a more active Stark. Considering how Grimmjow, the Sexta, would fare against the Segundo or Primera, it was a scary as shit thought. He had then decided that his usual arrogance hadn't helped and further offending Ichi had only dug him deeper into trouble. Silently, he had thanked that god he didn't believe in but was beginning to think was there that Ichigo had put his foot through his hollow hole and shocked him back into a somewhat normal state of mind.

He didn't quite know why, but when it came to Ichigo Grimmjow had started to feel uncharacteristically submissive. It could be because the boy was so much more powerful now, but he'd started to feel like this even before. The feeling of safety and submission had been surrounding him that day in Ichigo's room, prompting him to sleep without worrying about his neck being slit. The sensation had disturbed him, making him even more insanely aggressive than normal once Ichi's absence had brought him back to his senses. He wasn't _meant_ to be submissive, and the thought that Ichigo could make him be so was terrifying. Then Ichigo had been GONE and every instinct Grimmjow had had gone haywire. He'd figured it out though- Ichi was not a hollow. If he came on too strong he would never be accepted as the cub's mate; that being the case, he would have to let the boy be the instigator or he would lose him. His aggression and desire to prove his dominance had already cost him all friendly relationship with Ichi and almost all contact altogether. He had fucked up and, after thinking about it, he couldn't blame the teen if he never let Grimmjow get close to him again. He just prayed to that one god that seemed to be listening to him that, one day (soon), he would work his way back into Ichi's good books.

After following Ichigo's and the redheaded dog's game of Chase around Karakura for five hours, he had a damn good idea of where to start.

A/N Well, here's chapter four! I've already started chapter five, and I gotta tell you, it's gonne be fuckin' AWESOME. Hollow courtship rituals and who Kenny wound up paired with, Renji being accosted by- I'm telling you you'll never fuckin' guess who -and the fun of catnip! I fucking LOVE taking artistic liberties!!!


	5. Oh Ichigo,you poor soul!

CHAPTER FIVE

Ichigo was lazing with Renji in the underground training room when it happened. A gargantua opened up directly in front of them and out came the familiar blue-haired Espada. With a low grunt, the bigger man tossed a bundle at the feet of the pair and explained shortly, "It's a gift for the Protector." He then promptly went back through the gargantua and closed it behind him. Ears flat in surprise and wariness, Ichigo crept forward to examine the bundle. When it moved, he slashed it open with his claws and leapt back, hissing defensively. Out of the bundle struggled a small, green-haired….. girl? She was clearly marked as an Arrancar by the ram mask perched atop her head, but the mask had a large crack running through it and a few teeth missing. She also looked like she was about five. Before he could stop himself, Ichigo found that his body had drawn the crying, obviously frightened little girl into his warm hold. Maternal instincts long-cultivated by years of caring for his younger sisters kicked in full force and he stroked the child's hair, making soft, soothing noises. "Shh, shh, its okay, I have you. It's alright. It's alright, sweetheart. Honey, can you tell me your name? Hmmm, little brave girl?" Renji watched in fascination as the sobbing heap solidified into something recognizable as a child. "I'th….I'th Nel. Big sthawy blue cat-meanie man came outta sand while I'th playing tag with Nel's brothers and tie her up and say he take her someplace safe but he drop her off in scthawy new place and Nel doesn't like it and Nel's SCTHARED!"

Ichigo continued the soothing noises, beginning to rock the small being in his lap. "It's okay Nel, you are in a safe place now. My name is Ichigo, and the scary blue cat-man who brought you is named Grimmjow. He was telling the truth when he said he would bring you to a safe place; he brought you to me, and I won't let anyone hurt you. He just wasn't very nice about the _way_ he brought you to me. He likes to leave the being nice part up to me, y'know- he hasn't had much practice with it," he whispered conspiratorially. The girl giggled. Ichigo was too good with kids, Renji decided right there. It was scary. It also brought up entirely inappropriate images of Ichigo walking around with a little orange-haired boy clinging to his hakama and another orange-haired babe in his arm. Renji couldn't help the words that tumbled out of his mouth next. "You'd make a good mother, Ichi."

The man felt himself shrink when Ichigo death glared at him, his reiatsu wrapping around Renji's in a stranglehold. _What did you just say?!_ Hurrying to correct himself and soothe the other, he elaborated, "You're just so good with kids, especially girls, and you're so protective of them! That's what I imagine a mother is like, so you'd make a really good mom!" The reiatsu changed, penetrating and twining with his gently instead of trying to crush it. _I see…yes. That IS what a mother is like…._ Looking pensive, the teen continued to rock the girl in his arms. Feeling that reiatsu penetrating his own, Renji was laid out flat on his back and speechless with pleasure. It was like the other was screwing him with his reiatsu, it was so warm and inviting and _pleasurable_; it felt almost exactly like a real good fuck. And he suspected Ichigo had only meshed them for the silent communication he was becoming known for, so the teen couldn't possibly know what he was doing. Gods, why didn't anybody ever _tell_ Ichi about this shit?! It made for some fucking surreal situations! A thick thread of the teen's reiatsu- it was more of a tentacle, really- forced its' way deeper and Renji swore he could feel it moving straight into his belly.

The girl in his lap had fallen asleep, so Ichigo rose and took her to the healing spring to clean her up. He was aware that something was strange with Renji's reiatsu and was probing to find out if it was anything serious, but when his nose caught a scent that nearly jerked his head around he forced himself to continue to the spring. The scent of total submission and arousal. The scent spiked the same instant Renji's reiatsu did, and his sharp ears caught the barely-muffled growl of pleasure that stuck in the redheads' throat. What the hell…? Confused, as he hadn't done anything he knew would arouse the man or pleasure him like this, he undressed the girl and set her on the edge of the pool before deciding that to give her a proper bath he'd have to get in himself. _Oi Renji, I'm going to clean up the kid._ A groaned "O-okay…." answered him and he began to disrobe. He shed his gi and shihakusho, then quickly and efficiently folded them before removing his sandals, tabi, and hakama. He wore no fundoshi, so once it was all folded neatly and set aside, he slipped into the water with a soft cloth, pulled the girl into his lap, and began to bathe her.

When Ichigo had mentioned bathing, Renji had been unable to stop his head from turning to watch the man disrobe. All that tanned, muscled flesh, the knotted muscles writhing underneath his skin like live snakes as he moved fluidly. And, all the while he watched, those reiatsu tentacles grasping at him and sinking down inside him. It took all his ability to keep silent and not moan, groan, plead with the boy. He needed fucked. He needed it more than almost anything he'd ever needed in his life. It was like during his heat but worse, because he was fully aware and he _wanted_ it, _needed_ it like he needed to breathe. He rolled over onto his stomach, still watching as Ichigo got into the bath and bathed the girl before setting her to finish her nap on a towel a little ways from the spring. That involved Ichigo getting out of the water towel-less and this time Renji did moan at the eyeful he got, low in his throat, and he prayed that it was on one of those frequencies only dogs can hear and cats can't. When an orange tabby-patterned ear flicked towards him, he knew that prayer had been rejected and laughed at by whatever gods up there hated him.

_Renji, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you going into heat again?_ Renji choked on a laugh- he WISHED he was going into heat! At least then he had an excuse not to be able to control himself! "N-noooooo….." Ichigo's eyes narrowed. _Bullshit, you're not! Then what's got you so goddamn hot and bothered?!_ The redheads' hips rose to get pressure off his harder-than-steel erection and the pleasure of the friction made him collapse. "It's your reiatsu…..i-it's _in _me and….I'm so sensitive now….gods Ichigo, I need…I need…." Ichigo crouched down and his reiatsu sank so deep and hard and fast Renji nearly screamed. _What do you need, Ren?_ His voice vibrated inside the shinigami lieutenant and the man was in too much pleasure to be coherent for a moment. Only able to make high-pitched whines now in such a heightened state of arousal, he spoke back with his reiatsu, unintentionally sending an echo of what he was feeling to the other. _**I need to be mated and mounted or I think I'll go mad! I can't stand it!**_ Ichigo reeled from the intensity, but forced his legs not to buckle and tried to figure out how to mate Renji without mating him. Well, his reiatsu control was much better these days, and his reiatsu was apparently the problem….

Renji did scream this time when a tentacle of the teen's reiatsu forcefully curled in his belly and groin, another tentacle, a _thick_ one, forcing its' way inside him the way he needed it. He knew, in his head, that there was nothing there, but _gods_, it made him feel so _full_ and _stretched_, it was like someone had actually mounted him! Unable to control his instincts, Renji stretched out on his stomach, raising his ass in the air, and whimpered and writhed as the reiatsu tentacle fucked him hard and fast, just the way he needed it. He was in too much pleasure to vocalize it fully, and just when he thought it couldn't get any better, part of the tentacle became pointed and dug unerringly into his prostate, _hard_. Renji couldn't help it; he howled. His fingers digging into the floor, all his will focusing on the pulsing reiatsu inside him, panting and writhing like a wanton whore, Renji realized dimly he was in _too much pleasure to come_. On one hand, this meant the pleasure he was enjoying so much could go on longer. On the other, he needed to get off so bad his cock felt fit to split the skin. Hell, it was probably purple with need by now. A branch of the tentacle in his belly wrapped around his shaft, undulating, and he couldn't take the buildup of pure pleasure anymore; something had to give. Renji began to cry.

The tears flowing down his face were hot and falling fast, the redheaded soul reaper gasping for air. His hybrid features appeared with a muffled _pop_ and immediately his ears flattened back in pleasure, his tail raised and pushed to the side to allow easier entry into his clenching, shuddering body. His body's reactions were beyond uncontrollable at this point- it was almost all instinct. When the tentacle filling him gave his prostate another sharp jab, he howled again, muffled whimpers and little cries quickly following. He was in so much pleasure, it was too much, he just couldn't come- and then it happened. Ichigo **spoke.** _Well, Renji? Is this what you need? Is it enough?_ Renji's jumbled thoughts and incredibly high state of pleasure hit Ichigo full force as a reply; the moment Ichigo had spoken, his deep voice vibrating over and around and _in_ Renji, the dog hybrid let out a howl that had to be loud enough for Hueco Mundo to hear him and came. _**OhgodohgodIchigoyou'reinmeit'stoomuch pleasehelpmeI ohohohohohsweet GODIneeditIneedyousomuch onemoreonemore yourvoiceOHGOD ICHIGO!!!**_ The sheer amount of pleasure, the wave that overtook the substitute soul reaper at that moment, made the boy cum along with his friend, the force of his orgasm bringing him down to his knees.

Having been exposed to that pleasure for a much shorter time, Ichigo caught his breath fairly quickly and soon got back to his feet. "Che," he rasped quietly, "what a mess. At least I'm still undressed for the bath. Ren-" he coughed, his voice rusty after several hours of silence, before being able to continue. "Renji, you and I need to get cleaned up. Do you think you can move?" Renji whimpered, his voice extremely hoarse after the experience he'd just gone through. "I….I-I don't….don't think so." Ichigo nodded, then knelt next to the soul reaper and undressed him before bringing him over to the bath. "Don't try to move. I put you into this state, so I'll do all the work." Physically helpless and instinctually unable to disobey his Alpha, the older man did exactly that, letting Ichigo manipulate his body like a doll as he was washed, lightly massaged, and petted while he came back from….from wherever he'd gone. It had been a strange place, all soothing darkness and gentle touches. Wherever that place was, Ichigo's taking care of him was bringing him back to himself. Wait- he was getting what felt a hell of a lot like _aftercare_ so that meant the place he'd BEEN was very, very likely to be _subspace_.

Shit. That was bad. With any luck, only Ichigo would be able to do that as his Alpha; subspace was fucking amazing, but while you were in it mentally your physical body was in a trance and would take any order given to you by a master- that is, someone you acknowledge as being dominant to you. If you were in subspace and the master you were serving ordered you to kill somebody, you'd do it. Considering how long Soul Reapers "live,", there were far less prejudices about sex, sexual partners, and what sort of activities you DID with those sexual partners. As such, gender didn't really matter in a relationship, and what was known in the Living World as the D's community was widely known of, accepted, and practiced. There were always a few sickos, though, and Renji had heard horror stories of pets or submissives committing heinous crimes while in subspace at the command of their master. Because while in subspace their mind was quite literally in another dimension and they therefore could not think or consciously control their actions, anything done by a submissive or pet while in subspace was charged to the master that had commanded them, and/or the one who had put the pet into subspace in the first place.

Ichigo himself was, quite frankly, glad he'd been able to help his redheaded friend. He had no idea that you could reiatsu-fuck someone until just now, but he had to admit, it was an interesting prospect. Petting both hands gently over Renji's silky hair and soft skin, the substitute Soul Reaper smiled at how long it was taking the older man to return from Subspace. Oh yes, the teenager knew about Subspace well indeed; all the things he knew and was familiar with would have boggled the minds of nearly everyone who knew him. He'd gotten up to quite a lot of things during his two-month "vacation". When his friend shifted from where he was sprawled in the teen's lap, Ichigo leaned back on his hands and watched the other stretch out his body. "You with me again, sweets?" When the muscles all tensed beneath tattooed flesh, Ichigo grinned. "Thought so. Now don't worry about it; I knew what I was doing." The dog's ears were slicked back as far as they would go, and his tail hung low between his legs. Absently, Ichigo noted that the tucked tail did a very good job of covering Renji's continued nudity. On his hands and knees, the redhead came back to his previous position, sprawling out over Ichigo's lap. The only difference was that this time he was on his back, with his belly, chest, and throat exposed to his dominant.

"I……Ichigo, I….I didn't mean t'share it with ya. I know it musta been hell…. I'm sorry…" The feline threw back his head and laughed, one hand stroking lightly down Renji's throat to his sternum before returning to his throat to repeat it. "Don't worry about it, Renji. Like I said, I knew what I was doing. You ain't the first I've sent t'Subpsace and you likely won't be the last- though you are the first I've sent there unintentionally. I think I'm a pretty good Dom, aren't I?" His voice sent shivers down Renji's spine, and he arched beneath the warm hand that still stroked him. "Y-yes….yes, you are a good Dom, Master." Ichigo's free hand buried in the red hair and scratched lightly at the scalp beneath. "Have you had enough for now, or shall we continue the play?" It was a break from the roles of Dominant and Submissive, and Renji knew what Ichigo was really asking. "I'm done. But…..please Master, one reward?" An orange ear flicked and he smiled softly. "What have you done to earn your reward, _boy_?" The hand in his hair tightened and pulled lightly, Renji instinctively obeying the silent order to bare his throat. "I have….I have been good, Master….I have not been allowed to pleasure you and….I….ohgod, I haven't even attempted to break this rule…." Ichigo considered, then smirked. "Very well."

Renji hadn't been in this particular sort of role play situation for at least a hundred years, but he could remember that smile. He had been well trained, after all. Very, very well trained. He let Ichigo position his body, shuddering at the feel of the warm, lithe body over him. Then his Alpha asked the question he had just KNOWN was coming. "What do you want your reward to be, my good little pup?" Renji swallowed- what he wanted to ask for was possibly going too far; even in the Master-Pet role play he had unintentionally initiated when Ichigo's reiatsu had invaded his body and soul, there were some things that would be significant enough to carry over to their real lives outside the play. He took the chance. "I would be honored and rewarded to wear your mark on my body, Master. Please." Ichigo appeared to think about it for a moment or two, then nodded. "That is a reward I think you have earned. Be ready to answer questions about this to others, my pet." A hand under the broader man's back urged him up, and the hand in his hair making him expose the side of his throat. Renji briefly remembered that things touching his neck drove him crazy and moved both arms behind him so his clawed hands were braced on the floor.

In the D's circles, Ichigo was one of the Ten Masters. The Ten Masters were famous and, in a way, like gods; each specialized in a particular field of the D's world. There was the Mind Master, who specialized in mental games and could send even the most stubborn pet into Subspace in less than five minutes and break even other masters to be temporary subs in less than ten; the Slave Master, whose area of expertise rested with the Master-Slave relationships, including being the one to bind Slave-Master pairs and the legal proceedings of contracts; the Blood Master dealt solely with those who delighted in blood play and liked to bleed as much as he liked to lick the blood of someone else, and he was always willing to lend a flay, rope, or knife to anyone who needed to borrow one. The Death Berry held the title of Pet Master, which was also called the Dominance Master. He dealt specifically with the dominance and submission of Pets and Masters and had earned the title of Master by establishing unquestioning dominance over the previous Master and then promptly allowing a switch, proving that he could handle being the one submitting as well as he handled making others submit. That had been the only flaw in the previous Master's personality- he hadn't been able to really deal with submitting and thus when he was forced to do so also could not allow himself to hold the title any longer. As one of the Ten Masters, he had an established Mark; Renji wouldn't know what hit him.

He set his lips to the thick neck and shaped them, sucking hard, then moved his mouth just a little before applying his canines with several sharp pokes before dragging them in a long, slightly looping pattern over the skin. He licked the angry red place after, hearing Renji's claws scrabbling frantically in the dirt while the fought to control himself. Then he grinned, drawing back after one last lick. "There is your reward, my pet. It is time to finish up. What is your Word?" Renji's tongue flickered out to wet his lips before he spoke. "Moon, Master." Immediately both men relaxed, falling back into their usual personalities of Renji and Ichigo, rather than Pet and Master. Still petting Renji's hair, though now it was the lazy petting of a friend for another friend, Ichigo let out a long breath. "Shit, Renji, I didn't know you were into D's." Renji rolled onto his stomach, landing on the ground with a light "oof" before speaking. "Yeah, well I had no idea you were either! Shit, shit, shit, it was like fuckin' automatic with you. What the fuck?"

Ichigo's smile was tinged with something sharp that Renji couldn't identify without slipping back into the Pet play. "It _was_ automatic. Two months straight of being Master to as many pets could gather the courage to approach me makes for some impressive ability to slip seamlessly in and out of the role with little to no warning." Renji's ears flattened as his eyes widened and his entire body stiffened. _Two months straight?!"_ The younger man winced at the sheer volume, hands clapping over his ears. "_Fuck_ Renji, yes, two months straight! Don't yell so loud! Mother fucker, that hurts. I had to find something to occupy my time with when Zangestu refused to train me further. A sub with a training collar came to me and my new hybrid's instincts made dominating him too natural to turn down. He'd been ordered by his Master to find a Natural Dominant and learn to submit to a stranger, and he found me. Next thing I knew, I was King of the club the Subs and Doms frequented, swamped with requests by Pets that wanted to be dominated by me, and being initiated into the Ten Masters as the Dominance Master."

Renji's eyes were so wide Ichigo was slightly afraid they would pop out of their sockets. "Mother _fucker_- an Established Master, and more, one of the Ten in the human world? Holy gods, Ichi, what the fuck else have you been hiding from us that you did and learned in those two months?!" Ichigo leaned back on his hands, his voice teasing but his eyes narrowed. "Now, now, that would be telling. Can't have anyone knowing all my trump cards in the case of it getting back to Aizen, now can I?" Without quite knowing why, Renji backed off the subject. "Makes sense." He was saved further embarrassment when the _senkaimon_ opened in Urahara's basement to admit a familiar face- Hanatarou, the seventh seat of Squad Four. Entirely unflinching at their nudity and hybridism (which was an impressive feat- even Byakuya was sometimes caught staring at his vice captain's ears or tail), he nodded to Ichigo. "Unohana-taichou has sent a summons. She requests you come to meet with her right away, as there's something she needs to tell you."

Unconsciously, Ichigo tensed. "Is it bad?" Hanatarou shook his head, watching as both men dressed quickly. "Not bad, but she did say it was urgent. Important information, I guess." Fully dressed and carrying Zangetsu now, Ichigo tilted his head to one side. "Okay. I'm ready to go through. By the way, Hana, it's good to see you again." The much smaller shinigami blushed furiously, but his voice was even as he replied, "It is good to see you as well, Ichigo-san. I….enjoy your company." Ichigo smirked, using one hand to pat the older man's hair gently. "Yeah, I missed you too, kid." After arriving in Soul Society, Hanatarou was dismayed to find that he hadn't opened the _senkaimon_ where he intended to- instead of being in the court of pure souls, they were in the seventy-ninth district of Rukon! Ten minutes later they arrived at one of the Gates without fuss- even the lowliest, cockiest, most arrogant souls had felt Ichigo's power and stayed far, _far_ away from him. It was strange how much Ichigo stuck out even from the Shinigami; equally strange was how unconcerned Ichigo was at not quite fitting in. He didn't seem to care.

Upon arriving at the Fourth Squad barracks, Ichigo turned to his small companion. "If you give me directions, I can go see her. You're a seated officer- I'm sure you have better things to do than escort a substitute shinigami around. Not that I don't appreciate the company, mind you, but you probably have some people to save or wounds to heal or…something. Maybe some medical filing and paperwork. My dad being a doctor, I know perfectly well how important having all the medical records and paperwork in order is." Hanatarou blushed again, gave him directions, and rushed off after a quick explanation that Squad Eleven had started training new recruits and he really _really_ needed to get those files put away before the next wave came in. Ichigo laughed and waved him off, then went to the room his companion had said he should. Peering into what looked like an empty exam room, he knocked politely on the doorframe. "Hello? Captain Unohana?" The kindly voice that came from somewhere further in had the teen nearly jumping out of his skin. "Hello Kurosaki-kun. I'm glad you could make it so quickly. Do come in."

Ichigo obeyed. He instinctually knew that Unohana was a Delta, a caregiver. The thing about Deltas was that they were too kind to raise your hackles to, and when one asked something of you, you did it. They could also scare you senseless with a stare- or in Unohana's case, a smile. He closed the door behind him; he had a feeling that whatever was going to be talked about would require privacy. "Good idea, Kurosaki-kun. Please, have a seat. There are a few things that I recently realized no-one has thought to tell you that you really need to know. For instance, how much have you been told about reiatsu?" The orange-haired young man scratched the back of his neck, ears half-flattened in mild confusion and curiosity. "Only what I've learned about controlling it from Zangetsu. I….there's something really important that nobody's told me, isn't there? The minute I answered you started giving off the 'I have you give you bad news and I hate it because you're not going to take this well' vibes. Yes, I recognize that look- my old man's a doctor."

At the surprised expression Unohana wore, Ichigo sighed. "Why does everyone assume I am completely ignorant of all things related to doctors and healing? I've gotten enough training to be nearly qualified as an RN or nurse, I just didn't take official classes or get the license from working in my dad's clinic every day after school when I'm not fighting hollows." Coughing a little to cover her continued surprise, the captain nodded. "You are correct, there is something very important you haven't been told, and I don't think you are going to take it well. You are already aware that soul reapers have higher spirit energy, and you know that the more spiritual pressure a person has the more powerful they are judged to be. What it is apparent that no-one has bothered to tell you is what happens when reiatsu mixes." Unohana actually looked angry, and Ichigo's ears went just a little further back. He was _not_ looking forward to this. "The first thing you need to know is that male soul reapers are capable of getting pregnant and carrying the child to term; the gestation period for a man is roughly five months, rather than the nine for a woman."

At the moment, Ichigo was glad he was sitting. If he'd been standing, his knees would have buckled beneath him. He could get pregnant, and actually _keep_ the child? Holy shit! Unohana coughed lightly again, bringing his attention back to her. "There are ways to prevent pregnancy, just as in women, and men often get pregnant through sexual intercourse, which I believe you are familiar with as a sort of nurse. What everyone seems to forget you are unaware of is that sexual intercourse is not the _only_ way a male soul reaper can get pregnant, though it is the only way for a female. When those of high spiritual pressure have sex, their reiatsus mix and twine together, one of which submits, allowing him to take in part of his partner's power, which will work together to form a womb and enable him to carry the child they have just conceived. You have been told countless times that your wild, unrestrained wellspring of reiatsu is an issue, have you not?"

The feline nodded, his ears completely flat now- he didn't know where this was going, but he sure as hell didn't like all this talk of how male soul reapers got pregnant. God, what if _he_ was pregnant? That would put a serious wrench in his whole "destroy Aizen and save the world" plan. Despite his obvious discomfort with this discussion, he gestured the captain on. "Male Shinigami can get pregnant simply by their reiatsu mixing with that of someone extremely strong, and they are more likely to get pregnant the more powerful the reiatsu that mixes with theirs. Consider, Kurosaki-kun, how powerful your reiatsu is, and then consider how many people you associate with regularly whose spiritual pressure is substantially lower than your own." Ichigo did. _"Oh Gods…"_ Having paled to the point that his tanned skin was nearly the color of paper, the teen grasped the back of his chair until his knuckles were white. Then his voice and his reiatsu exploded with the same message when he roared at the top of his lungs. "_WHY DOESN'T ANYBODY EVER __**TELL**__ ME THIS SHIT UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS OR I'VE DONE SOMETHING STUPID?!?!"_ As her own reiatsu fought to keep her standing, Retsu Unohana was suddenly thankful that she was a captain; a lesser shinigami would already be on their knees.

Then the agitated teen turned his attention directly to Unohana, brown eyes desperate as he rose to his feet. "For the love of the gods, _tell me I haven't fathered any children!_ When I invaded Soul Society I must've come into close contact with hundreds of shinigami- if even _half_ of them are pregnant I likely have over a hundred children! Aizen's balls, how could I even attempt to support them all?! How will I care for that many?!" Overwhelmed with visions of becoming a stay-at-home-dad in Soul Society and overrun by children, Ichigo fainted dead away. He woke to a familiar white ceiling, and put a hand to his head as he sat up, silently thankful that all hospitals and clinics had similar ceilings. Retsu was still watching him, though now she was smiling a little. "In answer to your questions before you passed out, no you have not fathered hundreds of children. Many of the people you encountered are seated officers, and a decree was passed several hundred years ago for all officers to use the required items for birth control after a string of incidents where captains accidentally impregnated their lieutenants and recruits."

Ichigo sighed in relief, thankful. For a few moments there, he'd really been terrified. The captain's voice cut into his thoughts, however, before he could get very far. "While you are lucky not to have hundreds of children around, that is not to say that you do not have _any_. You have precisely one child fathered by accidental mingling of reiatsu, and you apparently impregnated the man carrying that child right around three months ago, as he is about six to eight weeks from being ready to give birth." Covering his face with one hand, Ichigo leaned backwards. "Gods…..._gods_. Who did I do this to?" The kind healer turned and gestured someone to come in; lo and behold, Kira Izuru stepped from behind a privacy screen, smiling shyly at the man he'd met only once. "Hello, Kurosaki-kun." Rising, the teen let his instinct guide him and he hugged the other man, seeking to comfort him. "Hi Kira. I had no idea I'd done this to you….gods, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I'm sorry…." Kira smiled a bit more and tilted his chin up to bump his nose against the underside of the other's jaw, luxuriating in the soothing feel of the substitute soul reaper's warmly familiar reiatsu. "Don't apologize, Ichigo. I've always wanted a family and most especially children, but I was told I was sterile. My reiatsu has always been too indrawn and tightly coiled to allow another's to mix with it, and so I could not bear children."

The teen's ears half-cocked and he stroked Kira's hair soothingly. "So you didn't have the birth control thing then…..it must've happened when you, me, Renji, Rangiku, and Shuuhei went drinking right before I left to return to the human world. But if your reiatsu was too tightly wound to allow you to bear children, how did I get you pregnant?" Here, the Captain made the last contribution she planned on making before she left the room. "I can explain that. Your reiatsu, Kurosaki-kun, is so all-encompassing and overwhelming that, when in proximity to you, Kira was quite literally immersed in it. The total immersion resulted in your reiatsu seeping into and around the 'chinks' and 'cracks' in Lieutenant Kira's tightly wound reiatsu. Bluntly, his infertility never stood a chance against your overwhelming power. He was pregnant within the first half-hour." Hesitantly letting his hand rest on the other man's bulging stomach, Ichigo breathed, "I can't believe it, I've _bred_ and I'm not even the legal of a consent yet….Hades. But you want the child, and having a family makes you happy….Kira, do you have an established romantic partner?"

Kira nodded, looking slightly puzzled. "Yes, I'm in a relationship with Ikkaku Madarame of the eleventh division. Why?" Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly, carefully not looking the slighter male in the eye. "I would never denounce any child of mine, first, so don't get me wrong, but….if your would rather raise the baby with Ikkaku and not have me play any major role in his or her life…..I wouldn't like it much, but I wouldn't destroy half a division either. I would _like_ to have a say in the child's life, because I'm the one who spawned him or her and all, but if you'd prefer, I'll just let you and Ikkaku raise the kid. The situation would be the same way it works for women who get artificial insemination- I do the baby-making because you can't, and you and your significant other happily raise the child with the young one never being the wiser. Since you're the one bearing the child and you're in an established relationship, you have quite a lot of options, and not that I'm trying to duck responsibility but I'll leave the decision of how you want to raise your child up to you. I can't really call him or her mine, as I had no clue I could impregnate you at the time, or that I would 'break' your infertility."

Izuru considered a moment, then replied, "I'll have to talk it over with Ikkaku, but I definitely want you to be a part of my baby's life. Whether you think you deserve it or not, the little one was sired by you; even if Ikkaku and I raise him or her as the parents he or she knows best, you'll still be Daddy Ichigo." After a couple minutes of mulling their respective situations over, the orange-haired feline smiled. "Daddy Ichigo. Sounds better than Mama Ichigo, which is what I used to get called because I took care of my younger sisters. I'll probably wind up being Mama Ichigo at some point anyway…. Oh well. You get back to me after talking it over with Ikkaku, I gotta get back to the human world. Some major shit's going down in a few days, and I need to be present in Karakura to pull it off." With a little salute, he opened the _senkaimon_ and was off. Kira and Unohana looked at each other before Kira asked uneasily, "Since when does Ichigo-kun know how to do that?"

Back in Karakura, the substitute soul reaper had immediately returned to Urahara's and slapped on the five reiatsu-eaters. One on each wrist and one on each upper arm, complete with the eye patch on his left eye, his reiatsu was sufficiently low that he didn't worry about impregnating anyone else. Suddenly something gave him pause, and for a moment, he paled again. In the rush of finding out he was a father, the previous question of pregnancy had been forgotten. Ichigo had fought so many high-level people with exceedingly high reiatsus, and it was entirely possible _he_ was pregnant. Holy shit, what if he was and did something stupid that made him lose the child? Shit, he should've asked Unohana about it while he was there. No opportunity now, though. And he couldn't communicate by reiatsu anymore either- gods, this was so fucked up. At least since Renji was an officer he was equipped with mandatory birth control. One worry off his mind, anyway. But if he _was_ pregnant by someone's reiatsu….Ulquiorra's plan had damn well better work.

Two nights later, Aizen was slaughtered by Ichigo Kurosaki, who had led an uprising among the hollow and arrancar. Under the direction of a Vasto Lorde arrancar that stood at Ichigo's side, they all turned on the man who tried to establish himself as a God. Kurosaki told no-one of his plans, disappearing with no warning whatsoever. It wasn't until he came back from what had come to be called the One-Night War, covered in blood and battle wounds, that anyone other than the hollows under his command had known what he had done. He refused to speak of his "epic battle" against Aizen, only saying it was a horror story that should never be spoken of. It had been a nightmare that only those who had lived it could understand.

For a few days after the One-Night War, many of the soul reapers still in Karakura were afraid that Ichigo would disappear again. They knew that Ichigo had hung around only to protect his precious people from Aizen, after all. When he didn't, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. That is, until he began to _grow_. About a week after the One-Night War, Ichigo called a stop to a spar with Renji and Ikkaku (who had come with Kira to hold negotiations with Ichigo about their child) with a hand over his stomach and a confused expression. The pair, concerned, asked what the matter was, and Ichigo's response dropped both on the spot. "I think I'm pregnant." Rolling his eyes at the stupidity of the fainted men, the feline hybrid ascended the ladder into the shop and opened the _senkaimon_ so he could go see Unohana. This had confirmed his earlier suspicions- he had distinctly felt a kick. Or a punch, considering he was the one carrying the feel of bruised kidneys. Of course, his mind _could_ be playing tricks on him, but he doubted it. He'd gained nearly ten pounds round the waist in the two weeks since he had killed Aizen, and further had been having strange cravings for some of Orihime's weirdest culinary creations. Particularly her red-bean-paste sushi with pickles and fried rice.

Two hours later, Ichigo sat in the large Kuchiki garden near the pond, hand on his stomach as he stared into the water contemplatively. He was going to be Mama Ichigo for real; Unohana had just confirmed it. Five times. With every test she could think of. There was no denying it even if he wanted to, so now came the bigger question- who in the _hell_ was the "father"? As the saying went, it took two to tango, but his reiatsu had been mixed with just about everyone he'd met since he had invaded soul society, right? That made for– Ichigo paled –a LOT of potential fathers. He just hoped to hell it wasn't Byakuya or Ukitake- both came from noble families and said nobles would kill to get their hands on the heir Ichigo would be carrying, and after seeing what being in a noble family did to Byakuya and Rukia, he'd tear soul society apart stone by stone with his bare hands before the let those arrogant, self-serving, backstabbing, inbred, mentally fucked-up, emotionally stunted _things_ that called themselves nobility lay hands on any child of his no matter the father.

Gently stroking his belly, Ichigo's ears were flat to his head. He'd have to keep this as quiet as possible until the birth unless he could find out who the father was beforehand. At that moment, Ichigo swore that he would do whatever was necessary to keep his child safe and out of hands he did not trust. He'd commit cold-blooded murder if he had to, but his baby would not fall victim to _anyone_. With minimal difficulty, he levered himself up and went home. It would be getting worse in the weeks to come, and he needed to start scouting out a safe place to drop his litter. Not Soul Society, because he had enemies there, and the human world was riddled with dangers, but Hueco Mundo was out of the question. Or was it…? Outside his fathers' clinic, the feline paused. He had defeated Aizen in a one-on-one battle, and Aizen had ruled Las Noches. Hollows worshiped whoever held the most power, so wouldn't that mean Ichigo was technically the new King of Las Noches and/or Hueco Mundo? It was an interesting thought to entertain. In fact, it was so very interesting that it bore looking into. With a little help from Shiro (he had decided on Shirofuujin and Ichigo shortened it), he ripped open a gargantua.

Stepping onto the white sands was easier than he thought it would be. He had been keeping the five reiatsu limiters on at all times now, and had thought that forcing the wayward reiatsu that remained into a path for him to walk on would be more difficult. Mind you, he wasn't complaining. That part that really surprised him was that, upon setting foot in Las Noches, he found himself surrounded by kneeling arrancar, who greeted him, "Kurosaki-sama." Blinking, he looked first to one side, then the other. Finally, he cleared his throat and instructed them to rise. He made no-one bow to him. He had no idea where Ulquiorra was, so instead he motioned for one of the lower-levels, probably a fraccion member, to approach. When the timid man that vaguely reminded Ichigo of a bird had done so, the hybrid inquired politely, "Can you tell me what has gone on in my absence?"

The young numeros silently admired his King in awe. "We have not changed much, my liege. We have continued our day to day living much as we did while Aizen lived, with the exception of meetings with Aizen and missions. We would have implemented any changes you wished us to if only we knew how best to please you, your highness." One of the last arrancar to be made before the destruction of Aizen and the hyogoku, the former falcon adjucas could feel the power of his King being restrained by the bands he wore and reveled in the knowledge that this new King _cared_. As of this moment, the unnamed numeros officially adopted a new religion; King Ichigo Kurosaki was the only God he knew. He wanted to hit his knees immediately, but did not know if that would displease his God; Aizen had always punished you for moving or speaking out of turn.

Ichigo was confused. Very, very confused. It wouldn't be good to lose face in front of the troops he had once commanded though, so he played it cool. "As I am mostly unaware as to the everyday activities of Las Noches, I think I'd best learn. Can you tell me where Ulquiorra is?" It seemed the surprises today wouldn't be ceasing, as almost immediately the young Arrancar threw himself at Ichigo's feet, sobbing apologies because, apparently, he didn't know of Ulquiorra's exact location and could thus not tell Ichigo, whom he was calling "My Liege-Lord". Not sure how else to handle such a situation, the orange-haired Soul Reaper scooped up the birdlike man and made soft, soothing noises. "Ulquiorra can be downright secretive at times, shush, it's not any fault of yours. It's okay if you don't know- not everyone can know everything and Ulquiorra is familiar with my spiritual pressure so he'll find his way to me eventually. Calm down, it's okay. By the way, what's your name?" The numeros whimpered softly. "I have none, my Leigelord, I am sorry." Automatically, Ichigo soothed him again. "That's okay too. Well you're a type of falcon, aren't you? Do you know what kind?" Still sniffling, because now he was even more convinced of the purity of his new god, the little arrancar answered as best he could. "I don't know the name, but I'm small and no other bird can fly faster than me."

Ichigo smiled. "The fastest bird in the land of the living is called the Peregrine falcon. Would you like to be named Peregrine?" The arrancar smiled back, then burst out into tears again and threw his arms around the neck of his King, managing to convey between happy sobs that he loved the name and his God was really too good to him, adding that it was an honor to be named personally by his King and God and that really he was entirely unworthy. With such a small body and childlike desire to please, the poor thing had no idea that he'd just flipped every maternal instinct switch Ichigo's soul and personality had accumulated to the on position full blast. The fact that Ichigo would be a mother in a relatively short period of time and his hormones were getting ready for that didn't exactly help. Pretty much on autopilot now, he hefted the newly named Peregrine against his hip like he would a toddler (the man was just small enough for the position to be feasible- honestly, the thin being weighed less than his sisters had at six) and rubbed at his back to calm him. Soothing the little falcon absently, he was looking over the awed-looking numeros still gathered around when he felt the other, who was wrapped around him, abruptly go completely still and silent. Curious to the change, Ichigo looked over to the feather-like mask tucked beneath his chin. "Something wrong?" The arrancar's voice, when it came, was rather quiet, but carried over the surrounding group like a scream. "I felt your belly....._move_, my Leigelord. You.....wouldn't perchance be with child, would you?"

Quite calmly, the teen answered, "I am. I also have no idea who the father is and am afraid to have the child in Soul Society for that reason. That is why I originally came to Las Noches to seek Ulquiorra- I was going to ask his opinion on how I can best keep my child safe up to and after birth." Unexpectedly, the wonderfully deep tones of the mentioned man sounded from behind the pair. "In that case, I am glad I came to find you when I did, Kurosaki-sama. Perhaps you'd care to discuss this in a more private setting?" Carefully setting Peregrine down and giving him a pat on the head to reassure the small one, Ichigo made a soft sound of agreement and followed Ulquiorra down a hall to a private, soundproof room. One extremely uncomfortable, but informative, conversation later, Ichigo had decided the Human world would be best to raise his offspring. It just wouldn't do to have people constantly fussing over him and his kit, nor to have the kit brought up as though he or she was pure royalty- he'd seen what that did to Byakuya and his kin, and refused to have his kid turn out like that. It wouldn't be the safest place, and if he had any complications it wouldn't be good because there was nobody to treat him, but as Ulquiorra pointed out, he could not afford to drop his litter in Soul Society. If the father had been an enemy, the resulting hybrid of hybrids would either be killed or experimented on without question because Sereitei was screwed up and backwards that way.

With a sigh, Ichigo went back to the human world. Nel was wandering around, having somehow escaped her babysitter(with how spacey Urahara was it didn't really surprise Ichigo that she'd escaped him), and with a fond sigh the teen went to collect her. It was dangerous to wander around in the middle of the street, after all. Concentrated on reaching Nel before any misfortune could befall her, Ichigo never saw the motorcycle coming, and the cyclist, unable to see Ichigo _or_ Nel, would never know what he hit that put him in the hospital.

Ichigo really should've remembered that streets are dangerous.

Especially when you're not looking both ways.


	6. Death,Birth,and Distraction

CHAPTER 6

When Ichigo woke up in the hospital, it was far from a pleasant awakening. The last thing he remembered was moving toward Nel, then something hard and heavy barreling into his left side with all the force of a charging Yammy in released state. He bolted upright, terrified. He couldn't remember exactly why at this moment, but there was something wrong, something that the motorcycle did that he should- _his kits_. What if….? He was afraid to look down, but he felt _wrong_ somehow so he already knew it had happened. Looking down at his stomach confirmed it; the 'baby bump' was gone now, his abdominal muscles back where they had always been before his pregnancy. Any child he had been carrying had been lost. He knew the children (Ulquiorra had blithely informed him during that very uncomfortable but informative conversation that he was not carrying one or two, but a full litter of four) had been little more than balls of reiatsu beginning to take shape as they fed from his eternal wellspring of spiritual energy, but now they would never have the opportunity to be anything more. Knowing that they did not feel nor bleed and thus could not have suffered was cold comfort as he thought about the little balls of reiatsu being hit, being _hammered_ so hard between metal and pavement that they burst. Not caring if it would summon all spiritual beings that could hear him, Ichigo threw his head back.

The high, keening, screaming wail that echoed across all three worlds terrified everyone who heard it. To those who had no idea who made it or what it meant, it was a scream worse than a hollows' that came out of nowhere. For those who knew who made it, it terrified them because they had no idea what could make such a strong man make a sound like that. Then there were those who knew what it meant, but not who made it, but that did not matter. Mostly hollows and Arrancar, they knew that such a sound came only from someone who had endured great tragedy- losing a Mate, losing a kingdom. Losing a child, or worse, an entire family. It didn't take those in Las Noches long to connect their pregnant King and God with the keening cry; all of Hueco Mundo mourned the princes and princesses lost. Not because they were royals, but because children were rare in the Desert of Death and held as the most precious beings ever. No hollow, no matter how insane, could bring themselves to harm a child unless that child was an adult in a child's body. It was one of the reasons Nel had survived for so long unmolested with her brothers.

When the cry finally died away, Ichigo collapsed into himself. A sobbing, gasping, inconsolable heap, he stayed in that state for quite some time, ignoring the doctors that came to check on him. Several of the shinigami as well as his family tried to comfort him, knowing the full extent of what he'd lost, but to no avail. It wasn't until almost a week later, when he learned that Kira Izuru had been admitted to the Fourth because it was suspected he was going into labor early, that he was able to compose himself. He still grieved, make no mistake, but when Grimmjow arrived from Los Noches with Peregrine in tow, he was no longer crying too hard to breathe. He just looked like he'd lost his children in an accident.

When Grimmjow got his first eyeful of Ichigo in the long weeks since he'd Officially Fucked Up, his first reaction was to smother the man with as much comfort and intensive care as he could possibly stand. He looked _dead_. Well, the teen had just lost his litter, that was normal, he supposed. He'd never had offspring with his previous mates, so he wouldn't know. The sight still made that place in his chest that hurt whenever he thought about when he had OFU swell with more hurt and _burn_ somehow. He hated it and wanted to fix it so he never had to see his Ichi look anything like this ever again. He just had no idea how and had already Fucked Up once. "We heard, Ichigo. Everyone in Hueco Mundo knows that sound, so you don't gotta say nothin'. This one," he jerked in the numeros' direction with his chin, "said he wanted ta see ya. Thought he migh' be able ta help." The teary almost-smile Ichigo barely managed to muster up when he greeted the small bird (Perry-something, Grimmjow could never get it straight because he didn't concern himself with the name of prey hollows) made the burning space in his chest swell harder and then feel like it was being torn in half slowly and painfully. Damn did it hurt!

Though Grimmjow wanted to gather the distressed teen in his arms and take him to a cave deep in the desert of Hueco Mundo and have a….what did humans call it? "Happily Ever After"?...but in general an eternity spent with his Mate at his side and maybe a litter or two of cubs to smother with protective love, he didn't dare. He didn't know if his very presence was welcomed yet, much less what Ichigo would do to him if he tried to _touch_ him, so he retreated to a corner to watch the interaction between the arrancar and Vizored King. The feline hybrid still had that wobbly smile, and he opened his arms to the little bird. "Hi, Peregrine. Looks like you'll never get to meet my kits after all, doesn't it?" Peregrine burst into tears, throwing himself into his God's arms as he tried to speak through the sobs. What came out was something along the lines of condolences on the lost kits, reassurances that there would be more, and a pledge to protect Ichigo and any future children with his life. The young one's submissive nature and fervent promises dispersed between heartfelt sobs seemed to touch something in the almost-mother, and unthinkingly the orange-haired teen curled protectively around the falcon arrancar. Watching the scene, mild though it was, made something else rise from the place in his chest that burned. He wasn't sure if his instincts could be trusted when it came to Ichigo, but this one was too strong to ignore. Warily, watching for any signs of rejection, he climbed onto the hospital bed behind the pair and stroked his Ichi's arms. He knew no other way to offer comfort, and it was quite obvious the teen was desperately in need of it.

When Ichigo did not immediately jerk away from his touch, Grimmjow encased the other two completely within his warmth, hold, and reiatsu. He was feline- Ichigo needed comfort desperately, someone strong of spirit to lean on, and Grimmjow knew no other way to offer it than through touch. Losing a single kit was hard, but losing a whole litter in one fell swoop? It was enough to make even that bastard Barragan cry. Or, well, it would have if the arrogant fool was still alive. Still, when that keening cry of pain had echoed through the worlds, the hollows had thrown back their heads and howled with, no matter where they were or what they had been doing. Nothing was more precious to a hollow than the Mate, but the Offspring were a damn close second. Losing either was enough to make one lose its' mind. A litter of cubs had been lost, they knew from the intensity of the scream, and they knew that the one who had intended to bear them might want to follow them into death, so they offered whatever support they could. Hollows, though the lowest classes were fairly mindless, still had a strong Pack instinct. Offspring were the Pack's Offspring and all were precious, even the Offspring of an enemy. Harm coming to any Offspring was full reason for all hollows to turn on the offender and kill them, comrade or not.

Humming softly to try and calm him, Grimmjow stroked and petted Ichigo gently, his hand hesitating once or twice before finally stroking over his belly. When he did, Ichigo stiffened, then broke down into keening sobs of anguish. He once more mourned the loss of his kits, and this time he did not mourn alone. Peregrine and Grimmjow threw back their heads, filled their lungs, and mourned with him, their eerie wails blending and twining together in the eternal song of sadness and pain known to all living things. When Ichigo's friends finally arrived to talk to him, they found the strangest thing they'd ever seen in their lives- Ichigo asleep on the hospital bed, one strong arrancar curled in his lap, crying, and a larger, even stronger arrancar at his back, embracing him, also crying, if more quietly than the smaller one. Upon seeing the soul reapers, the larger hissed and rose up protectively over the teen, the smaller one making a sound like a snarling squawk a bird might make. The Death Berry himself lay in a fitful sleep against the big arrancar's chest, tear tracks still glistening over his cheeks, and he would shift restlessly against the hard chest every so often. He did so now, and to the surprise of the soul reapers watching, both arrancar immediately turned their attention back to the teen to fuss over him silently, both trying to make him comfortable enough to fall into a deeper sleep worriedly.

Tucking the blankets around Ichigo, Grimmjow decided he really didn't give a shit that the redheaded dog and the one woman he'd put his hand through were watching. Ichigo was more important. They could go suck Aizen's dick; he was going to take care of his hurting Ichi. Stroking the visored's hair, the panther in him purred when the teen sighed and curled against him more comfortably, and he nuzzled the fragile temple in a familiar gesture. When the redhead stepped forward, his head snapped up and he hissed again, baring his teeth. "You! You were s'posed ta be 'is friend, shinigami dog! Where th'fuck were ya when 'e needed ya? He lost 'is litter, I dunno 'ow an' I ain't gonna ask, but none'a ya were here when 'e needed ya. I 'eard 'is scream from th'middle of the Hueco Mundo desert an' came runnin'- why the fuck din't _you_?" His brow furrowing almost as deeply as Ichigo's usually did, he once more bent his neck and nuzzled the teen's face. "There's nothin' worse than losin' yer first litter. If the bird an' I weren't here he prolly woulda tried ta commit suicide already. Seriously, Shinigami, why th'fuck weren't ya here?" The shinigami were, by this point, incredibly paled, Renji in particular. "He _what_?"

Grimmjow felt his ears pinning back. "He _lost_ his fucking _litter_, Shinigami- he was carrying kits and he lost them all!" Bemused, he watched as Renji's knees buckled, bringing him to the cold clinic floor. "We- we were on a mission in Rukongai….when we got b-back they only said Ichigo had been injured in the h-human world…..oh gods, why? Why Ichigo? Why his litter?" His head fell back and the espada could see he was fighting not to howl, which would wake Ichigo from his fitful sleep, but the chaotic reiatsu that enveloped the room was already waking him. "Go 'head, shinigami. We all mourn 'em." Renji's body rippled, and he let out a screaming, mourning howl just as Ichigo's and the arrancars keening cry shredded the air. The fact that Renji was howling set off the other dogs, including Yachiru and Kenpatchi where they waited outside the room. The word of Ichigo's lost children spread to the other dogs, and would be known to all who had previously been uninformed by nightfall. That was good- Unohana would know how to treat his broken spirit. Naturally, until then, the presence of Grimmjow and Renji was helping. Kenpatchi's soothing reiatsu overtaking the entire room didn't hurt, either.

When again Ichigo had exhausted himself and fallen asleep against Grimmjow's chest, the people in the room were gathered around him in one large dog pile to try and offer as much comfort as possible. With Ichigo no longer able to do things that would worry them, the shinigami turned to their original pressing problem- the arrancar. Making sure to keep his voice at a quiet enough pitch that he wouldn't wake the sleeping feline, Renji growled, "What th'fuck are you doin' here anyways, Arrancar? What do you want with Ichigo?" Peregrine hissed and clicked his beak aggressively. "Unlike traitorous soul reapers, we hollows are _loyal_. Ichigo-sama screamed- we answered. He _is_ our-" Grimmjow cut Peregrine off with a growl, which caused him to look over at the stronger arrancar in question. "Remember this is _shinigami_ yer talkin' to. There's some things they don' deserve ta know." Peregrine clicked his beak again, but didn't speak further. Grimmjow-sama obviously knew something he did not, and as part of Ichigo's Court he was quite obviously in the higher circles and therefore must be trusted with his King's wellbeing.

Grimmjow knew damn good and well the shinigami would denounce Ichigo entirely if they learned he was King of Hueco Mundo- that is, if they didn't try to use his friends against him to bend him to their will. The teen was already in an all-too-fragile state, and those he thought his friends turning against him might shatter him entirely. The redheaded dog looked him in the eye, blue to reddish-brown. "I don't care if he's the whore of Los Noches or King of Hueco Mundo. He's still Ichigo. If Yamamoto-soutaichou himself were to order me to attack Ichigo, I wouldn' do it. I'd turn traitor righ' along with 'im and I can think of at least ten others who'd be righ' behind 'im with me. So tell me, arrancar, what ya can do fer 'im that I can't." Grimmjow's eyes narrowed and his lips curled, though the dog stayed steady. "How can _I_ know ya can be trusted? How can I know ya won' turn on 'im an' shatter what's left o' his mind an' his spirit?" His ears and tail manifesting, the redhead took one step forward. "Ichigo is my Alpha and Omega, my pack leader and the one I answer to above all others and _particularly_ above non-hybrid soul reapers like Yamamoto. If I could, I would tell him so and let him know he never has to worry about me hurting him, at least on purpose. I just don't think he's ready to hear that someone's life is in his hands even outside of a battle."

Looking at Ichigo's flattened stomach, his ears dropped. "Especially right now." Seeing the dog's tail drop submissively, Grimmjow considered him in silence for a few moments. It was true that the teen wasn't ready to hear something like that from such a close friend, and since he'd just lost his kits he'd think himself unfit and freak out. If it was true, which the blunet suspected it was, his little maybe-mate would do something drastic in order to remove himself from the position as the redheaded dog's Alpha. That would be very, very bad. "Drastic" with Ichigo usually amounted to the equivalent of "insane" and "suicidal". The weakling female he'd originally tried to kill interrupted the exchange at this point. "Renji, what are you saying? How can you even contemplate betraying Soul Society when you're a lieutenant?" To the large arrancar's surprise, the dog growled at her. He had thought with dogs males couldn't be aggressive to females; maybe it was because she wasn't the same species. "I'm saying that I will stand by the man who stood by me, by _you_, and saved both our asses time and again! You've forgotten, in th'time since your adoption into that fucking _noble clan_, what we learned as Rukongai street rats- Soul Reapers're devils and can't be trusted, willin' ta turn on ya th'_instant_ ya prove t'be a threat or when ya have no further use t'them! We few streetrats among th'shinigami are trustworthy only 'cuz we learned tha' one simple truth from childhood and we ain't stupid enou' t'trust anyone but th'other street rats. Tell me, Rukia, when didja turn inta a fuckin' stupid noble _bitch_? When th'fuck didja turn inta _Kuchiki-sama_ tha' made Rukia an' me kneel at 'er feet ta be _allowed_ ta take the test ta git inta the Shinigami Academy?"

The shinigami woman- Rukia, he supposed –drew back and winced like she'd been slapped. Or like Grimmjow had threatened to tear through her middle again. She looked, honestly, absolutely horrified. Then she suddenly drew herself up with an affronted expression and Grimmjow started revising his opinion of the shinigami dog. He was more than familiar with that look thanks to Aizen-bastard; it was the look of insulted nobility, the expression a superior gave to an insect that dared to disrespect them. He'd seen that look every single time he came within five feet of Tousen, had Ulquiorra turn it in his direction every time he had defied their self-appointed God. "How dare you," she said coldly, and Grimmjow heard Ulquiorra's low tenor in her voice. Curling his lip, he spat at her before her tirade could really begin. "He dares 'cuz he's right! Ya goddamn weakling bitch, do ya even hear yerself? Do ya even know what ya look like right now? Fuck, woman, take a look in the goddamn mirror. I don't know who the fuck you see, but I know what I see right now. I see Tousen, sneerin' at me 'cuz he thinks I'm a 'violent, brutish waste of existence'." Carefully extracting himself from the bed and leaving Ichigo cradled by the falcon, he grabbed the woman by the chin and forced her to look into the mirror on the wide wall. "Look at it. Ya know what I see starin' there?" Lowering his head a little to whisper in her ear, his tone was mocking, vicious. "I see Aizen Sosuke."

She ripped out of his grip with a snarl, face contorting in rage. "I am no traitor like that worthless bastard!" Grimmjow snorted. "Oh ya ain't, huh? Sorry, but I think Red over there begs ta differ. Tha' ain't what I'm talking 'bout though." He pointed to the mirror again, which still showed her face. "Do ya see tha'? Do ya see tha' expression of haughty disrespect an' loathin'? Aizen thought 'e was better than everybody else, thought 'e was a fuckin' god. An' when one o' us failed a mission he looked at us Just. Like. That! Makes me wanna do ta _you_, fuckin' weakling, what I saw Ichigo do ta _Aizen_." "As if you could," Ichigo's tired voice suddenly came from the bed, startling all present as he sat up. "It requires a special kind of hatred to do that to anyone, even a weakling enemy." In a flash of movement, the panther was on the bed again, wrapping his arms around the strong shoulders. "Shit, I'm sorry, I din't mean ta wake ya up." Stretching a little, Ichigo murmured a sleepy assurance that he hadn't. "The swirling reiatsu in here made mine spike in response 'til I woke up." Still blinking sleepily, the teen frowned. "Pull in that reiatsu, Rukia," he snapped, "before you start to ice the walls. This is a fucking hospital, for the love of kami! Fuck, you remind me more and more of Byakuya these days- what the hell happened to you? At least Byakuya has started to redeem himself!"

Recognizing the signs of distress, which would be even more pronounced until Ichigo's spirit started to heal(which, by all indications, would be a long time coming), Grimmjow petted Ichigo's arms soothingly. The teen would probably be going between ripping-people's-heads-off-fury and bawling his eyes out for quite some time as he alternately grieved and tried to stop grieving, and he would need to let it out of his system. He also, the blunet grimly noted, did not take the cold well. Despite the heat from both the arrancars wrapped around him, Ichigo was shaking hard, goosebumps breaking out over all his visible skin. Frowning, Grimmjow started rubbing his hands up and down the arms of the other feline to try and warm him. When it didn't do much to help, he snarled at Rukia, his blue eyes glowing with the promise of pain. "You heard 'im, this is a _hospital_ ya bitch! If ya don't get yer reiatsu under control I swear I'll _eat it_!" At this abruptly violent reminder that Grimmjow was an arrancar and most certainly _not_ harmless, Rukia drew her reiatsu in close to her skin and fell into an attack stance. This time both Ichigo and Grimmjow snarled at her. "Don't even _think_ of using yer attacks in here!" Again, Grimmjow was surprised at Ichigo's vehemence towards one he was pretty sure the teen considered a friend. But then, he supposed, the thought of her hurting someone in the hospital who might have gone through what he had was probably a stronger motivator.

He had to thread his fingers through the hybrid's to stop him from lashing out. It was mostly a precaution, but he knew better than most that, if he was wild enough at the time, he could kill just with his claws. He _would_ kill, probably with claws and teeth and a bite to the head. The clawed fingers flexed between his own, deadly points lightly scraping at his steel skin, and Grimmjow had to fight back a shiver. Now was not the time to be reveling at the touch, blessed as it was to be allowed to him after he'd screwed up so absolutely royally with Ichigo. Tilting his head, he nuzzled his nose into the side of Ichigo's neck to soothe him. He normally would've licked him, as it was very calming to be groomed, particularly by another feline, but he'd already pushed his limits enough today by climbing in bed to cradle him. It was to his incredible surprise that Ichigo turned a little to nuzzle back, though he never took his eyes off of Rukia. His ears and tail popped into existence thanks to his agitation, and his ears flattened angrily. His tail, in contrast, lashed behind him. Grimmjow wound his hand around it gently and it calmed in his grip. That was rare, really, as your tail mostly had a mind of it's own and it did what it damn well wanted even if it tended to react based on your mood. It wouldn't calm down in the grip of someone else unless it, or rather you, liked the person touching it. While this made Grimmjow fucking ecstatic, now was neither the time nor the place for these sentiments.

Ichigo eyed Rukia with all the malice of a predator glaring at its natural worst enemy. Perhaps that's what she was to him. His clawed fingers flexed in Grimmjow's grip again, one ear twitching as his muscles bunched. He wanted to hunt. He intended to kill. Grimmjow had to question for a moment if Ichigo was even thinking like a human at the moment, and his question was answered when a moment later he had a lapful of Panther-Cheetah crossbreed, fur bristling as powerful haunches primed to spring. Quickly releasing his true form, he wound his lithe body around the much bigger one, making soft sounds meant to soothe even as he pawed at the massive forelegs to draw his attention. Finding another cat in close proximity obviously startled Ichigo; crouching low over the bone-armored form, he carefully scented the newcomer. After a moment or two, he sat back and used a foreleg to pull Grimmjow into his chest and began to groom him, a simple declaration rumbling up from his chest in a language only the panther would understand. _"Pride."_ Even as he bathed the squirming blunet, he eyed Renji and Rukia, the other shinigami having long retreated to a far corner of the room. _"Pride. Gamma. Protect."_ It was a good thing his reach was so long, because if he'd had to leave the bed to retrieve Renji it would have turned very ugly very quickly. Once he had both men tucked beneath his belly protectively, he continued to groom them more to calm himself than out of any real need as he kept his eyes on Rukia, his fur bristled. She was a _threat_ to his pride members. Grimmjow prayed to that one god that listened to him that Ichigo came to his senses soon, or he would hate himself when he found himself ripping apart the bitch.

After snuffling at them and determining both to be fine, he drew Peregrine in and examined him as well before giving him an affectionate lick with the low purr of _"Kit."_ and tucked him underneath one foreleg. With all available members of his pride safely surrounded by his own body, the massive cat finally turned his full attention to the threat. When he bared his teeth and hissed at her, she instinctively took a step back, somehow knowing a hiss like that was more dangerous than a snarl or spit. It was more than a warning- it was a promise. When his claws unsheathed to dig into the bed sheets, Grimmjow pawed at the chest above him and mewled softly. It was humiliating to do something so submissive and weak in front of anyone, but for the sake of getting all the way out of Ichi's black books it had to be borne. When the bigger cat looked down at him worriedly, Grimmjow internally winced, but mewled again. It was, roughly translated, a plea for Ichigo not to leave the pride defenseless by leaving the bed. Yes, he knew there was a threat, but he didn't want to be left alone while Leader (he cringed inside to call Ichigo that, but he had to get through _somehow_) chased the threat. What if there was another one waiting to ambush them once he left? Convinced by this logic, the hybrid settled.

Cat glared coolly at the Female That Posed A Threat, baring his teeth to hiss every once in a while. His pride was safe beneath his big body, though he knew some members were missing, and one of his kits were not here. The kits he had lost made him extra protective of what remained of his pride, but the New One was right when he warned of possible ambush. Some hunting techniques followed that sort of strategy. Deciding to groom the Red One now, he continued to hold eye contact with the Female That Posed A Threat to challenge her; by showing that he was unconcerned with her proximity and threat status, he hoped to make her back off. Luckily for her, it worked, and she quickly retreated. Licking a long line up the male's sideburns, Cat purred down at his little pride and sat up a little to give them room, purring louder when the one he was grooming tilted his chin up to bare his throat, forelegs curling near his shoulders to display his chest and belly submissively. He knew the Red One was a dog, he could smell it easily, but it didn't matter because he was part of his pride and acknowledged him as Leader, as Alpha. As long as the dog didn't challenge him for dominance it was okay- he would have to fight to stay Leader if challenged and he did not want to fight with anyone in his pride when his pride was so small and missing many members. Actually, he didn't want to find anyone in his pride EVER, but that was not likely to happen in his lifetime.

He licked the bared throat fondly, snuffling at the red-kissed temple and flicking his ears at the melodious laugh this produced. He pulled his kit in and positioned him on the Red Ones' stomach, and he preened the bird gently with his claws, being careful not to hurt him. His pride had many species in it and he liked that for some reason. He was happy he could care for them all. Still preening the kit, he eye caught several others in one corner of the room watching him warily, but making no threatening movements. Curious, he asked why they kept their distance when they obviously meant no harm. Beneath him, the New One made noises in the human tongue, presumably translating, and one of the humans answered in a quiet, submissive tone. New One translated for them as well. _"They say they are waiting for you to return to your human form to take you to see Kira; he will likely drop his litter today and is already denned to prepare. Since his kit was accidentally sired by you, Kira and his Mate wish you to be there."_ Alarmed, Cat's tail fur fluffed. _"He is kitting __**today**__ and I am not at his side? They should have approached sooner- I cannot let him drop his litter alone!"_ After giving his huge body a quick shake, he shrank down until a lithe, naked teenager crouched on the bed once more.

"Shit, Kira's birthing already? Someone open the Gate, we don't have time to waste! Rukia setting off my cat instincts set us back, let's move!" Chuckling, Grimmjow took the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around the tanned waist. "Ya migh' wanna get some clothes on first. I can't imagine they'd let ya in th'hospital bare-ass nekkid." To his surprise, Ichigo looked down at his state of undress, flushed _bright_ red, and seized the sheet with a squeak. Apparently the young man hadn't realized he was naked. "Yes. Yes, clothes would be nice. Shuuhei, please lend me something?" After the chuckling shinigami gave the young man his fuugata and a spare pair of hakama to wear, Ichigo bounded from the bed to the open gate. Grimmjow and Peregrine watched sadly from the bed, because they knew they wouldn't be able to follow and protect him in Soul Society. At the Gate, Ichigo spun on the ball of one bare foot and raised an eyebrow at the two. "Ya comin' or not?" Surprised, but more than pleased at the question, both rose and quickly followed him through the gate. It didn't matter that the shinigami on the other side would object; their King wanted them with him and so by his side they would stay. Well, at least until they got to the birthing den. Very few other than the mates and parents were allowed inside the birthing dens at all, much less _during a birth_. They knew that much. The sprint of flash steps to the hospital and the three were stalking down a wooden hallway, the others having let them go ahead out of courtesy.

Ichigo burst through the doors with all the forceful intent of a mother lion coming to the aid of her cubs. A growl was rumbling in this throat, and he voice resonated with it as he asked Ikkaku if Kira was doing okay. He visibly decreased in size when he was informed that Kira was doing just fine and the birth was progressing at a safe and healthy pace, and his aggressive air dissipated almost completely. He did, however, begin to pace worriedly. Considering that he'd just lost his litter, he would likely be more than overprotective of every child he came across for quite some time, and have a burning need to keep any and all young ones safe for the rest of his life. The fact that this one was his only made both of those effects stronger. Retreating to stand beside Ikkaku, both Arrancar and the fifth seat simply watched him pace. Looking remarkably calm for a man with two powerful enemies flanking him, the bald male turned his head to look at Grimmjow. "Take it yer here fer Ichigo? I 'magine he's freakin' the fuck out, considering he fathered our kid, even if he did promise t'let me and Kira raise it." Grimmjow snorted. "'Freakin' the fuck out' ain't near strong enough t'describe what he's doin' right now."

Ikakku snorted. "Yeah, sounds right. I'm doin' it too, just a lil' less energetically than he is. After all, Kira is _my_ partner, my husband….my soul mate, I guess. I'm worried about him givin' birth, but Cap'n Unohana is in there so I can't worry too bad." Ichigo spun around on the ball of his foot so fast smoke rose from the wood floor, and the three watching winced as he continued his pacing. How his bare feet didn't hurt from the abuse, they couldn't fathom, but they weren't going to risk his wrath by asking. Especially not when his ears and tail were both flicking wildly in agitation the way they were. When Kira's first cry of labor rang out, Ichigo's fur (and his _hair_ for that matter) bristled, standing on end, and he paced faster. An hour later, the wails of a newborn broke the steady _thmp-thmp-thmp-thmp_ of Ichigo's pacing, and the teen stopped in his tracks, ears trembling with the effort of straining them so far forward. His tail twitched once, but otherwise he was as still as a statue. Ten minutes later, he still hadn't moved, and amid quiet sounds of tending to the baby, Kira called for his mate and the sire of his child. With an unnecessary flash step, both were at his side. Ichigo fussed and tweaked, his doctor abilities showing when he asked nervous questions about how Kira was doing; Ikkaku cuddled and cooed, alternatively comforting his exhausted husband and his new son.

There was no mistaking who his father was- the little tyke's blue eyes glowed with equally blue reiatsu the same way Ichigo's did when he got riled, and the fluffy down decorating his head had a distinct orange tint to it. Ikkaku grinned and gave the boy a kiss on the forehead, wrapping both of his precious ones in his own power. "Yer gonna be stronger than fuck when ya grow up, kid. Avoid the Cap'n until yer at least eight." That made both Ichigo and Kira laugh, and the teen stroked the downy hair with a timid smile. "Hey there, little guy. I'm a friend of your Mama." The little being yawned then, and Ichigo couldn't resist giving first the baby, then Kira, and fond nuzzle. "You're tired, and so is your ma. We'll let you sleep." Both men retreated, which turned out to be a wise decision because Unohana chose that moment to sweep into the room. Grabbing Grimmjow and Peregrine's hands, Ichigo gave them a small smile. "Come on- let's go home. I'm glad I got to see the baby, but now I think it's time to go." Ikkaku and the others, who had by now caught up, stared at him strangely. "What do you mean? Don't you want to be here?" the new father questioned gruffly, though his reiatsu betrayed him as worried. Ichigo turned to him, and gave the most beautiful, absolutely heartbreaking smile any of them had ever seen. "I'd like to, of course, but I'm a King now. I have responsibilities. Besides, after the Captains find out who I am, exactly, I doubt they'd let me stay."

Understanding what his King was doing, Peregrine ripped open a gargantua for quick escape even as Grimmjow gaped. The kid was giving up everything! "After all, I highly doubt someone like Yamamoto would be happy about the King of Hueco Mundo running around soul society, don't you?" And with that, he turned and disappeared into the portal. Grimmjow followed immediately, not wanting Ichigo to be alone for any length of time, and Peregrine peered at the soul reapers, his hollow nature showing for the first time as he said in a low, dark voice, "I hope dearly that all of you understand what Ichigo-sama has given up for you. It is no easy thing to be a King among hollows; we all vie for that title, the strongest of us, and he will never be able to stop fighting until the day he dies. He did it when he killed Aizen….he did it to protect you. Do not forget that and harm him with more betrayal." Swishing his tail feathers in a deliberate sweeping move that was a warning among birds, he followed his superior and his God through the gargantua. On the other side, he immediately returned to the childlike submissive personality that was natural to him, clinging to Ichigo's side with a quiet whimper.

Wrapping his arm around the small Arrancar, Ichigo's face was surprisingly soft, rather than hard with grief as it had been for the past weeks. "Thank you little one," he said with a small kiss to his forehead, "for forcing a little fierceness to defend me. I know it is difficult for you." Peregrine melted under the praise and nuzzled into his King, twittering softly in happiness. Ichigo just laughed and hefted the much smaller male onto his hip like a toddler again, Grimmjow wondering briefly if Peregrine wasn't becoming a surrogate son before dismissing it because if it made Ichigo feel better than it didn't matter _what_ it was so long as it _worked_. Anything was permissible so long as it kept that expression of pain and devastating loss off his face. Besides, whether he wanted to admit it or not, Ichigo _was_ the King, which meant that he set the precedents. If he wanted to do something, he could do it regardless of what anyone else thought. He might of course be challenged, but a simple display of dominance would quickly quell any unrest his actions might cause. The blunet frowned as he realized something he'd been previously overlooking- Ichigo didn't know anything about Hollow rules of conduct, or what his duties were as King. With the shit-storm he'd had been dealing with lately, it'd never been a good time to bring it up. Frankly, it would never be a good time to bring it up until he was able to start accepting his grief for his lost litter, and that could easily take decades. They didn't have that kind of time; every King had his Court to advise and support or challenge him, it was a sign of paranoia and mistrust not to, and Ichigo needed at least an Advisor and a First General to start. Paranoia and mistrust from the King resulted in mistrust IN the King.

Swearing under his breath, Grimmjow decided he'd have to bring this up once they were safely in Ichigo's rooms. Perhaps it would help him keep his mind off his pain and his sorrow for a time. It was at this point that Grimmjow finally noticed something that horrified him- for quite some time now, he'd been trailing _behind_ Ichigo whenever he was with him, a show of deference to his authority and his superiority! That would be normal, as it would reinforce his trust in the current monarch within the lower ranks, but _he'd been doing it subconsciously_. That was bad, because it meant he, somewhere deep down inside him, acknowledged that Ichigo was his superior and his Pride Leader and that he would never surpass the younger male, or at least not anytime in the near future. His inner panther actually considered Ichigo his Leader for _real_, not just for show as he had previously thought, and if his panther decided that was his Leader, the more logical and rational part of his would obey his Leader no matter his conscious protests. Worse, since it was already done, he had absolutely no say at all in the matter anymore. Shit, getting together with the kid as a mate-bonded pair was even more vital to his continued survival now, because it was now inevitable that he would love him with every fiber of his being. Though not a social cat, the panther in him mixed with the human in him created a need for a Pride and for contact with others, not necessarily of his own kind, and it also had created a need for a defined social hierarchy. That was probably something Aizen had done on purpose to make them _need_ him as a leader so they'd be less likely to rebel. Ichigo was a strong and protective Leader, so it was easy for him to fill that position.

"Grimmjow, is there a particular place you want to go? You keep using your hip to nudge me down certain hallways and my hip is starting to get sore and irritated from the repeated bumping so it'd be easier if you just walked ahead if that's the case." Stopping dead in his tracks, Grimmjow realized he _had_ been doing just that and it was another unconscious move on his part, but that was a general Hollow thing. Because he wasn't part of Ichigo's official Court, he wasn't technically allowed to walk beside him and certainly not in front of him, so he'd been subtly directing the teen towards his rooms using hip movements. He couldn't lead because he wasn't allowed to do that, but he couldn't let his King get himself lost in his own palace either. "Sorry," he muttered, the unfamiliar word coming out almost automatically, "it's part of the whole 'yer King' thing- I ain't allowed ta walk ahead o' ya so it's how I steer ya towards yer quarters." Though Ichigo clearly thought that custom unwise (more accurately, idiotic) just from his expression, he merely nodded and continued to have Grimmjow direct their walk until they reached their destination. Once in his rooms, which had formerly belonged to Aizen but redone in Ichigo's colors (orange, black, and blood red), Ichigo pointed the blunet onto the nearby couch in a silent order to sit and himself took the plush chair directly opposite, the little falcon still perched on his hip being shifted to his lap. "What the hell kind of custom requires that you not walk ahead of me?" Grimmjow fidgeted in his seat- he was _not_ supposed to sit here, as being directly across from the King was a place of honor second only to being at his right or left hand and was reserved for Court members- but explained.

"Each King assembles his own Court, which're his closest advisors an' companions; he trusts 'em above all others. Ya haven't selected anybody t'be in yer Court yet so nobody's s'posed ta put ya in any position where ya could be vulnerable- an' that includes leadin' ya anywhere, 'cuz they could be leadin' ya inta a trap. Nudging is allowed only 'cuz it's assumed ya'd be able ta see a trap before walkin' inta it if yer goin' forward first." He hesitated a moment, then decided now was as good a time as any. "I know ya still grieve, we all do, but life's gotta keep goin' whether we like it 'r not. Would it help if I distracted ya with learnin' our customs an' yer duties as King? If ya stay busy enough, ya might be able ta start acceptin' the loss…'r so I've been told." Though he visibly winced, the vizard nodded. "Yes. Distract me. Talk until you're hoarse; just…make me have to stop thinking of the things that hurt." Grimmjow nodded and started to talk. Ichigo didn't have anyone in his Court yet and he didn't know all that many aside from Ulquiorra and Grimmjow himself besides Peregrine, so he could get away with just two to start- he needed a Chief Advisor and he needed a First Captain. The King of hollows was also the general of their army, should he ever call them together to participate in an attack that would require the coordination and overwhelming might of the army itself, which was assembled very rarely aside from the times they met their King at his initiation and the First General, who was usually appointed at the same ceremony. At this point Ichigo stopped him to ask if he could appoint the two in his Court ahead of time as he would need some help before his initiation could even take place and Grimmjow replied that would be preferable and even expected. Ichigo promptly appointed Grimmjow First General and Ulquiorra as his Chief Advisor, making Grimmjow's jaw drop.

Ichigo laughed at that and pointed out that Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were the people he knew best and trusted most in Los Noches, so it was only natural for him to select them to be the primary and most important in his Court. Grimmjow, when he finally managed to fight down the urge to jump the younger and start licking him to show his gratitude and happiness, continued by saying he would need to learn certain things about Hollows that were generally common knowledge and thus expected to be known and accepted by their King. Ichigo had just been settling in for a long lecture when the door to his room was thrown open and a female numeros stormed in, looking for all the world like she planned to rip him apart. Grimmjow instinctively rose, left hand already dropping to his sword hilt, but an open-palmed gesture from the orange-haired male made him stop and instead retreat to his side, specifically at his left hand. The monarch's expression was only vaguely amused, his legs crossed at the knee and one hand on the top knee while the other rested on the arm of the chair. This position did not change, nor did the almost-smile touching just one corner of his mouth, for nearly half an hour as the unattractive female ranted and raved. His entire demeanor changed, however, the second she made a threatening gesture in his direction. In what seemed like a split millisecond (and quite possibly was indeed half a millisecond with his incredible, bordering-on-impossible speed ability) he was in Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu in hand with the tip just touching the numeros' throat. His mouth was set in a hard line, but other than his sword arm his posture was exactly the same; his legs were still crossed and his hand still rested atop them to signify that he didn't deem her enough of a threat to really be on guard. "That is enough."

Regarding the now trembling woman with an expression none present had ever seen before, which was eerily similar to Aizen's when he was particularly displeased, the teen tilted his head slightly as he spoke. "I like to think I am a reasonable man. I am new to being a King and technically have not been officially instated as King of Hueco Mundo, so logically there are going to be come inhabitants of Los Noches that have some sort of problem with me. You, I have to assume, are one of them. I have listened to you rant and pitch a fit over how terrible your last Shinigami ruler was and how I thus cannot be any better, and I know perfectly well that you and I'm sure a hundred others think a human-shinigami-hollow crossbreed is absolutely unfit and by letting you scream about this I have tried to show that I intend to actually take care of my new Kingdom as Aizen never did. Attempting to threaten me, however, is going too far and I _will not tolerate it_." He began to raise his reiatsu while focusing it on the female, and the look of horror on her face as she was pushed to hands and knees, and then pressed fully to the floor, made even Grimmjow wince. He remembered being crushed like that, and it didn't look like Ichigo was actually planning on letting the chit survive. At the last possible second for her to being breathing again he abruptly let up on the pressure; this caused the punished Arrancar to breathe, but the stress on her body made her violently ill for long moments until she could regulate her breathing and stop heaving bile. When she shakily rose to her knees, Ichigo advised, "Take this as a lesson and the next time you want to question me use this memory to recall that I have not been acknowledged as your King because I am weak nor because I allow threats against myself or those I consider important. I am your King because I killed Aizen, who dared to threaten my home, my family, my friends, and the unborn kits I was carrying at the time. He harmed the ones I love and I murdered him for it. If my position here is threatened they will be endangered; I will not hesitate to kill again."

Tensa Zangetsu suspended from his finger by the chain, he watched as the girl struggled to gain her feet and waited for her murmured "My apologies, my Liege" before he kindly ushered her out so she could get some rest and recuperate. Leaning against the back of Ichigo's chair and using his forearm for support, Grimmjow chuckled a little. "I guess I don't gotta explain ta ya about displays of dominance when yer actions have been called inta question then." Ichigo chuckled and said that no, he pretty well had that one covered, and then asked whose job it was to clean up the mess left behind. Grimmjow called a servant Arrancar to do it. He was thanked for doing so and nearly fell over in shock; Ichigo laughed.


	7. Negotiations and Play Time?

CHAPTER 7

Being casually dominant seemed to come naturally to the young King, and combined with his superb reiatsu control he was proving himself a fair and fit leader of the palace. When accosted, he usually kept it down to broken bones at worst for the "lesson", though it wasn't often that he needed more then a quick thumping with his sword hilt to being the offender down. The first time he'd blocked a sword with his bare wrist and come out without a scratch had scared the hell out of him, but he did it nearly all the time now. He remembered Grimmjow doing that at their first meeting, and with how tightly he kept his reiatsu leashed it wasn't surprising his skin more than rivaled even Nnoitra's heirro. He could feel it struggling to break free from time to time, pressing against his skin until he thought it would burst from the pressure. Terrifyingly, his power was _still_ growing, even though he wasn't working to deliberately force it to anymore. It was as though his make-it-or-break-it training had flipped a switch in him somewhere and now his power would continue to grow by leaps and bounds until his death, perhaps into eternity if he lived immortally as a vizard. It was a scary and distressing thought, and he expressed this to Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra had said that after a few decades his power would _have_ to level out just to give his body time to adjust to it before it made any more leaps if it was going to make any at all, and when that had done little to calm him Grimmjow had given him a quick one-armed hug and informed him bluntly that the stronger he was, the scarier he was, and thus the more effective a ruler he would be, with less attempts on his life. The thought of fewer assassins after him successfully cheered the teen up.

At present, Ichigo was walking towards the Throne Room (which he'd already had redone to make it less obnoxiously arrogant and ostentatious) to address the Espada that remained alive. His tail swished behind him, having stopped hiding his true nature days ago, and his ears flicked as they twisted and turned to catch every sound they possibly could. After his little episode with the nameless female he'd been accepted more or less unquestioningly, so he felt comfortable enough in himself and his Kingdom to let his hybridism show (which, coincidentally, also put his emotions on display to anyone who cared to read them). He'd just stepped into the room when he was pounced on with a cry. He scooped Nel into his hold with the ease of long practice, holding her against his hip as Peregrine trailed him up to the throne. He hadn't quite made it when Ulquiorra approached, bypassing his usual deep bow for a short bob that was barely a bow at all—a gesture that told Ichigo that something truly serious was up. Ulquiorra, no matter how Ichigo scolded, _always_ bowed. The habit was too ingrained for him to resist. "Report, First Advisor Ulquiorra."

His black-green eyes showed the slightest hint of relief to be called on first to give his report. "We have intruders, Kurosaki-sama, both humans and shinigami, headed this way. What are your orders?"

Ichigo adjusted the squirming girl on his hip and dropped the other hand to pet Peregrine's head. "How many shinigami and how many humans? If you have a visual report, I will need to see it to give an accurate judgment." A 'visual report' was what he had taken to calling Ulquiorra's eye-illusion trick.

Ulquiorra bowed, deeply this time. "My apologies, my Liege, I have no visual report. Shall I bring one?"

Ichigo shook his head. "That will not be necessary, First Advisor Ulquiorra. My friends and family are human, so if the humans and shinigami are approaching as one group, I have to assume that they either come peacefully or they are holding my humans hostage. Either way, responding with violence is not an option at this point in time. Ulquiorra, you will go to meet them and escort them straight here. Do you think it would be prudent to take another Espada with you in the case of the situation being hostile?"

Ulquiorra nodded, obviously trying not to be insulted; coming from anyone else, that would be an insinuation that he was too weak to handle the situation himself, but in Ichigo's case he was only being cautious. If the situation turned bad, Ulquiorra could attack them while someone else spirited the important ones back to Los Noches. When one was a King, one cannot afford to be reckless with the lives of his men, his protectorate, or his trusted Court members. Ichigo, already protective by nature, was made only more cautious and protective now that he was King. Tilting his head slightly, the pale Arrancar inquired softly, "Who should I take with me, my King?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Whoever you want, Ulquiorra, except for Grimmjow. I need him with me in the case of this being a trick by Soul Society trying to attack us or me personally while what they assume is our main force goes to meet the approaching human and shinigami."

Ulquiorra was delighted to be given the choice himself, taking Zommari along for his deferential nature and his incredible sonido, which was second only to Ichigo's himself. If a quick strike was needed to rescue "Ichigo's" humans, Zommari could have them in his arms and halfway back to Las Noches before the shinigami could even draw their swords. Since his more 'permanent' return to Hueco Mundo two and a half weeks ago, Ichigo had been changing slightly, and nobody dared to comment, Ulquiorra mused as he flashed over the dunes. He never went anywhere without Grimmjow now, and he'd started using possessive nouns quite often in his speech. He also had developed a tendency to refer to himself as 'we' when angry or speaking of official business, although if that was from the royal 'we' or not only he knew. It didn't matter in any case—the King was the King and Ichigo was too good and kind of a King for them to want him overthrown, so such matters were his business and his alone. The two came to an abrupt stop before the group, sand billowing out in the wind that whistled past them from the speed. As the shinigami and humans protected their faces with whatever cloth was within reach, Ulquiorra took the opportunity to study them. He vaguely recognized the red-haired soul reaper at the head of the pack from his King's description, as well as a white-haired young one and a massive man with spiked black hair. When the sand settled and they laid eyes on him, it was the redhead who stepped forward, his tone polite and his body language non-aggressive. "We would like to see your King. Ichigo Kurosaki is a good friend of ours."

Ulquiorra merely nodded and gestured for them to follow him; his King awaited their return.

Stretching in his throne chair, at that particular moment Ichigo didn't look much like a King. His toes were spread, his feet were arched (in a very cat-like manner), his back was bowed, his tail was curled, and he was purring very loudly from the pleasant burn of a long, hard stretch with his hands anchoring him to the arms of the chair. Grimmjow was busy drooling over the long, lean body on display, but he nevertheless was aware enough to bop a lower Arrancar on the head when it tried to sneak past him. It was only a young one wanting to see the King for himself, but he couldn't be allowed to approach while Ichigo was vulnerable. When stretching, he had his guard down, so even the young ones weren't allowed to approach. He collapsed back down into the chair, tail flicking happily, and gestured the young one closer, Grimmjow letting him past this time. Yawning, Grimmjow went up to the throne and sat himself comfortably at Ichigo's feet, his pride instinct demanding he be close to his Leader. He'd rather be laying in a pile with Ichigo and the rest of his chosen pride, but the throne wasn't big enough for both of them so he settled for sitting at his feet. Ichigo almost always protested this, having explained such a move was degrading and humiliating among humans, but Grimmjow couldn't find any fault with it personally so he continued to do it when Ichigo wasn't looking. It also had the effect of making Ichigo flustered as all hell, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

When Ichigo sent the little one on his way, he let his hand fall into Grimmjow's hair and scratched his scalp lightly, almost like he was petting him. The panther's eyes drifted shut and he purred, leaning back into the hand. Feeling a large group on the way, he peeled open one eye to stare at the door and then looked down at himself. With Ichigo's rule had come a lack of required clothing and uniforms, so the various inhabitants had returned to wearing whatever they were comfortable with. Grimmjow was most comfortable naked, but Ichigo did have a mandatory clothing rule that necessitated you covered your "naughty bits", which meant that males were required to wear at least loincloths if nothing else, and females had to wear something to cover their chests as well as a loincloth at the very least. Grimmjow himself preferred as little clothing as possible and wore only a small leather loincloth that was just big enough to cover him and a delicate gold chain that led down from collarbone and spine to attach to the loincloth string and looped his shoulders. The chain declared his status as First General and Primary Court Member, so he never took it off if he could help it. Still, it could be considered indecent…perhaps he should dress up for the company that was coming? Hmmm…nah. He was more than good enough as is. What could be more impressive than him at his finest, anyway? Returning to his closed-eyes-and-purring position, he snuggled up to Ichigo's leg comfortably and reveled in being allowed to touch whatever and whenever he wanted. Truly, it was a gift he did not deserve, but he wasn't about to mention that.

Feeling something tickle the side of his neck, he turned into the touch and found his King had pressed a kiss there, which pleased him to no end. Ichigo had become physically very affectionate, a byproduct of his feline nature, and Grimmjow considered himself lucky to be the main target of these affections because he was the nearest other known feline. That redheaded shinigami, Renji, was the _Gamma_, he knew, but that was the second lieutenant in the Pride and left the _Beta_ position open. Of course, the _Beta_ was also usually the mate of the _Alpha_, the Leader, and Ichigo had no mate yet. That brought up an interesting thought, actually. Ichigo would be expected to take a Consort eventually and though it wasn't required to be any time soon he would need to declare at least two Intendeds within a few weeks. Courtship could of course last years or even decades, but you needed to have an Intended or two to prove you were looking to take a mate eventually. That sort of reassurance was needed, because it would be assumed Ichigo would take a Hollow mate, and the mate could help Ichigo with anything he was unfamiliar with. He'd need to talk to Ichigo about that later. Right now though, Ulquiorra was escorting the group of humans and shinigami to the throne room and they were getting pretty close, so he sat up straight and prepared to greet their guests. One hand on his sword, the other perched on Ichigo's knee to monitor his tenseness and perceived threat levels. With the visiting group being one Ichigo was familiar with, it was best to take cues from him.

Still absently petting Grimmjow's hair, Ichigo wasn't surprised to see the group consisted of mostly people he would trust with his life—he'd been analyzing their reiatsu from the moment they'd appeared in his sensory range. It was an automatic reflex because he'd had to start doing that all the time now that there were people out to kill him and he had to decide who was safe to let approach and who was not. In this case it was safe, though he was a bit curious as to why they'd come. He had intended to go fetch his family once he was comfortably instated and settled in as King (and thus reducing the possible threats on their lives) and they had come, but so had Ishida and Chad and Orihime and at least…four soul reapers. He also thought he felt Hat-N-Clogs at the back of the group, but wasn't sure about that. When the doors opened, Ichigo easily batted aside his old man (smiling a little at his cries of "My manly son has kept up his reflexes! Daddy's so proud!") while silently thanking whatever diplomat had been sent by whichever faction to explain things to his family and raised his eyebrow at Renji. "It is good to see you again, my _gamma_, but I have to wonder what brought you into my realm. What's the sitch?"

Renji gave him a respectful bow, doing his best to look and sound formal. "Greetings to you, King Kurosaki, from Soul Society. We were sent to see if you would consider negotiations with us for peace between our two worlds. If you agree, we are to open said negotiations as soon as possible…my Alpha." Ichigo's eyes skimmed the small crowd, landing on someone he'd never thought he'd see in the Desert of Death and another that worried him.

"Of course I'm willing to give negotiations a try! I have too many pride members in Soul Society to want to see it destroyed—please, make yourselves comfortable, there are plenty of seats. Ukitake-san, please sit down. You're lookin' much paler than usual—Marri, get Captain Ukitake a seat, a blanket, and some medicinal tea, please."

Marri, one of the many servants that attended to Ichigo's whims, brought a blanket out of seemingly nowhere and got Ukitake seated and the blanket comfortably tucked around his lower body, fussing over him slightly before leaving to get the tea. Most of the servants were still fairly subdued in nature from Aizen, but Marri was very maternal and would nag you to make sure you stayed in good health; assigning her to the eternally-afflicted Ukitake would give her someone to fuss over and him someone to see to any need he may have. Ichigo suspected he was afflicted with tuberculosis and the only thing that kept it from killing him was his reiatsu, which burned at the illness, but that was just a theory. After batting his father out of the way one more time and everyone was seated and ready to proceed, Renji asked permission to open up a direct line of communications via a screen. It was the kind that had been set up in Orihime's house, only this time it was attached to a convenient rock for stability rather than the walls. Yamamoto-soutaichou was already on screen, his expression grave and his cane in hand as always. They exchanged the overly-formal-and-stupid greetings as all leaders of opposing sides tend to do, and Ichigo crossed his legs in his chair as he got right down to it. He always was one to tackle things head-on.

"My _gamma_ tells me you're looking to negotiate. What, exactly, are you negotiating with us over?" Grimmjow, resting his chin on Ichigo's leg to get a better look at the people gathered around the room in a more or less circular shape, noted the tightening of the old man's eyes. Or rather, eye slits, as it seemed he was so old and wrinkled the folds of loose skin actually obscured them.

"We wish to make peace between you and Soul Society. We knew Aizen Sosuke could not be reasoned with, but with you taking his place we hope that the senseless slaughter he had planned can be avoided."

Ichigo wanted to snort, but that would be undignified so he didn't. Did they really think he had taken over as King just to start a needless war that would endanger everything he held dear? "Of course it can, Yamamoto-san. We didn't destroy Aizen just so we could proceed with that which we killed him to stop. There is little I want to avoid more than the Winter War he was planning. I'm only King because…well, I killed Aizen. By the Laws of Hollows, whoever defeats the current King becomes the next King because power is everything. With Aizen being the strongest around, even if not officially initiated as King, me killing him makes us King by default. So Ulquiorra explains it, anyway."

The first day of negotiations did not go well; most of the time was spent explaining Hollow custom and law to the Soul Reapers, fending off the odd attack from his father, and taking frequent breaks so he wouldn't start banging his head against the nearest wall. He got his family settled in rooms very close to his own, so that his personal guard (handpicked by Grimmjow and Ulquiorra) could defend them easily, and set the soul reapers up in 'buddy systems' of two to a room and advised them to keep their swords handy. Rebels were crawling out of the sands and stonework, so there was only a measure of safety that could be guaranteed at any one time. Speaking of rebels, he knew where they were flocking to in preparation to organize an uprising against him; the Menos Forest. Hmmmmmm…come to think of it, he could use a little stress relief right now. He wanted to play; in fact, he wanted to play his favorite game since he had become a Hybrid. The game itself was simple—it was the actual _doing_ that was difficult and made it worth the fun of trying. First things first, though—he had to get an extra set of clothes.

Ten minutes later, Ichigo was flash-stepping across the sands, Grimmjow at his side (he wasn't allowed to go ANYWHERE without his First General because he was also his personal bodyguard) and trying desperately to convince him that diplomatic negotiations with the rebels was a _really_ bad idea. Shiro, though on better terms [with his partner now], was bitching at his King about how he should just go and have a little fun, not unwind from work with _more work_ and that he was being stupid. His hollow abruptly went quiet, however, when he felt a surge of dark amusement wrap around him that seemed to say, _If only you knew_.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, didn't shut up until they were nearly on top of the rebels and then he only did it because it would imply he wasn't confident in his monarch's decisions if he questioned him within earshot of anyone or anything else. He was usually extremely confident in all of Ichigo's decisions, but when it came to this particular one he was afraid his King was out of his mind. The assembled leaders around them started when they came to a stop directly in front of them, their sonido making it appear as though they had simply sprung up out of nowhere. His ear flicking slightly as they ever-blowing wind disturbed the fine, highly sensitive hairs inside it, he let his tail sweep casually by his knee. "A tactical meeting? Perfect! I wanted to talk to you about this little rebellion of yours." His whiskers twitched as a cero blasted past him, deflected by the natural strength of the reiatsu boiling around him. A more purposeful flick of his tail sent a concentrated ball of reiatsu at the offender in question, who was bowled over and tumbled a few feet but was otherwise unharmed. Let them think it was an accident (Shiro began to giggle as he realized exactly _what_ his King was up to, and it would be a fun game indeed). "It seems entirely unnecessary," he continued, "considering I'll listen to anyone who asks for an audience with me. You could've just _talked_ to me. Why doesn't anyone just wanna talk these days? Well, at least the Shinigami are making an effort. Better effort than you, anyway." Another cero was deflected by his reiatsu and though he controlled his other reactions he couldn't keep his whiskers from twitching irritably. "I suggest you control your subordinates. You can't lead for shit, y'know that? Even _I_ can keep my lower ranks in line when I have company, and I'm not even officially King yet!" One of the younger Vasto Lorde finally gave in to his instinct and reacted to the insult, leaping at Ichigo with a cry of raw fury. "Oh dear," Ichigo sighed as, before ever reaching him, the Lorde fell to the ground in pieces, dissolving even as he fell. "And here I was hoping I'd be able to play the game a little longer."

Grimmjow watched in awe as, with three calculated moves, Ichigo turned what had been a semi-army into a writhing, screaming, animalistic mass of blood and flesh and terror. First, he'd cut up the hollow. Second, he'd spoken of ending a 'game'. Third… he transformed. Rippling up from his toes to his ears, fur burst through flesh, bones snapped and stretched and rearranged, claws sprouted from paws and his size increased until he burst through his shredded clothes. The good relations with his hollow had an effect on this form—the armour was now more extensive, his fangs and claws larger and sharper to be more deadly, and when he began to maul his way through the mass below it became apparent that his speed had at least tripled. Of course, the smell of blood had an immediate effect; the carcasses that hadn't dissolved yet were set upon immediately by the ravenous horde, the stupid creatures too occupied with devouring all they could to even acknowledge the hollows falling all around them. Occasionally he could appear as a human, naked as the day he was born, his sword scything through them like wheat, before orange fur would flash again and the enormous cat was back, jaws cracking open a hollow mask as easily as a bird would a seed. Between orange flashes, you could catch the barest glimpse of the moonlight glinting off blood-wet claws as hollows screamed and exploded into a pile of steaming flesh and blood. Most of the lower ranks were decimated in less than five minutes, and at the five-minute mark exactly the giant feline sat himself down in the middle of the killing field and began to casually lick his paws clean.

"What a pity…I couldn't get you all. No matter, there will be other days for other games." The words came from Ichigo, obviously, though his mouth never moved and he began to wash his face. "Now, I could either play another game tonight…or come back and play one game each night the Shinigami are here. Whaddya think, Grimmjow?"

From the giant rock he'd taken a seat on to watch the show, the First General pretended to think. "Hmmm…well, the Shinigami _are_ insanely annoyin'…mebbe ya'd be less stressed if ya let 'em live and played with 'em. Just until the Shinigami're gone, ne? An' ya shoulda _told_ me ya were playin', I woulda liked ta join in!"

Licking at his elbow now, Ichigo nodded. "Alright, Rebel bitches, my First General has spoken—you get to live another day. We'll see how long you survive my games. C'mon, Grimmjow, we better get back before my old man scares the servants too badly."

"_Don't ferget me, King!"_ Another massive cat, exactly like Ichigo but pure white with gray spots and orange markings where Ichigo had red, padded up onto the rock Grimmjow sat on and began cleaning himself of blood as well.

The orange feline jumped up and rubbed cheeks with him as everyone else, including Grimmjow, stared in confusion and astonishment. "Of course not, Shiro! We go together, always together."

The paler cat purred, giving his King a few licks and then leaping from the rock. _"Race ya back t'the palace!"_ Laughing, Ichigo followed after, Grimmjow following both with the bundle of clothes held close to his chest. When Ichigo eventually returned to human form, he'd want them.

While Ichigo and his General were occupied outside of Las Noches, most of the shinigami had gathered together to discuss everything they'd learned and seen today rather than sleep. Of course, hollow custom was rehashed, corrected, and questioned, but once that was exhausted Renji brought up something that had been bugging him since he'd arrived. "Ichigo is King, ain't 'e? Don't that mean he'll need…a harem? He needs heirs, an' the more of 'em, the better…they'd usually be 'round the throne t'show 'em off when he's got guests." This started off whole new rounds of speech, everything from denials about how Ichigo just wasn't _like_ that and wouldn't do that to someone to speculations of who he would choose for his harem if he had one, which of course brought up Ichigo's already-questioned sexuality. Through those lengthy arguments, one person in particular stayed extremely quiet.

At length, head tilted to the side, finger to her lips, Orihime asked quietly, "Did anyone else notice Grimmjow-san kneeling next to Ichigo the whole time we were there?"

All discussion stopped dead. It was Yoruichi who continued. "Yeah, come to think of it…he didn't seem to be wearing much, either. And he stayed awfully close by Ichigo…he seemed oddly docile and quiet, too. I remember him being more…aggressive and violent and…loud." Looks were interchanged, and theories began to once again fly, getting more outrageous by the moment as the possibility of Grimmjow being Ichigo's sex slave came to the forefront, was disparaged and discarded, then dragged back under scrutiny because there were certain _requirements_ for Kings, whether they liked it or not, and having multiple people in your bed was one of them.

The men in question were blissfully unaware of this speculation and were at the moment meandering through the sands, Ichigo and Shiro having rejoined and the former returning to human form and dressing in the clothes Grimmjow dutifully handed him. Mildly interested in what he'd seen, but more than impressed, Grimmjow was being careful to keep his mouth shut. He could tell his King was still in the strange place between calm and deadly playful. He could go off again at any time, and Grimmjow was already on thin ice, First General or no. He knew full well he had nowhere near made up for the shit he'd done and probably only held this much power and prestige because Ichigo didn't know anyone else that he could've given the job to.

"Hey, Grimmjow."

His head jerked up, all his attention automatically focusing on his liege. "Yes?"

Ichigo was looking thoughtful and a little curious. "Baby, did you even know what game I was playing back there?"

Grimmjow shivered a little at the affectionate term. He wanted to believe it was sincere, but he knew better. Ichigo developed odd speech patterns when he wasn't feeling himself. "Yeah. First you played 'Oblivious' and then ya played 'Time Limit'. I've played myself a time 'r two."

Ichigo's tail flicked happily, though he kept his eyes forward. "Oh, you call it 'Oblivious' then—I call it 'Dumb Human' but I think I like your name better. Whaddya suppose I oughta play tomorrow?"

Grimmjow chewed on his knuckles as he thought. The only thing he missed about his Espada uniform was he'd been able to chew on the high collar when he was frustrated or bored. "Ya could play Time Limit again, 'r mebbe 'Teamwork'. Teamwork's fun when ya got three 'r more players."

The orange ears swiveled in his direction. "I haven't played Teamwork before. Yeah, that might be fun."

Back in the palace proper, Ichigo yawned widely, tongue curling, ears flat—a perfect picture of exhaustion. His reiatsu, meanwhile, was so thick and strong as to be _visible_, which declared for all the world to hear that he could take on most likely the entirety of the Hollow Army and win. If he had brought the reiatsu into his body, he would be as hyperactive as a three year old on sugar right now, but since he was keeping it more or less pushed outward he had allowed himself to become tired. He'd also ordered for stronger reiatsu-eaters to be looked into, since the ones he'd had he'd accidentally left behind in the Human World and his position as King was still too unstable to go retrieve them. No matter right now—right now, he was going to go to _sleep_. "C'mon, Grimmjow," he yawned again, "let's head off to bed."

"Of course, my King." Though not spoken in a mocking tone, Ichigo knew the panther's brand of sarcasm and whacked him with his armored tail, ignoring it when the bigger man just laughed. Since this was said as they passed by the room the Soul Reapers had congregated in, this of course set off several chain reactions they would be fully unaware of until the morrow. They two did sleep in the same room, occasionally the same bed, but not for any such depraved reason as his friends speculated. Quite frankly, it was all because Grimmjow was a stubborn fuck. Specifically, he refused to allow Ichigo to sleep unguarded; though his uncontrolled reiatsu could and would crush any hostile creature that entered the room, Grimmjow absolutely insisted on guarding him while he slept and, when Grimmjow needed to sleep himself, he would share the bed so that if someone sought to murder the King in his bed Grimmjow would be there to take the blow and murder the assassin.

This issue caused five vicious, explosive fights in the first few days after Ichigo had appointed Grimmjow First General.

Ichigo woke in a way that was quickly becoming familiar- with a bare chest in his face and a heavy arm slung over his hip. His ear flicked due to hot breath tickling it, and his tail slowly unwound from the wrist it held hostage. Though tempted to give Grimmjow a little nip to wake up, instead he rolled out of bed and let the displacement of weight startle him awake. "Shower," he grunted, shedding his sleep robe as he headed for the bathroom, and Grimmjow gave a low growl of acknowledgement. Grimmjow freaked out if he didn't know where Ichigo was at any given moment, so the teenager tried his hardest to make sure the man always knew. A freaked-out Grimmjow was an ugly, ugly thing—blood and entrails _everywhere_… When he emerged from the shower he entered the bedroom naked, toweling his hair dry (unknowing of the strangled whimper Grimmjow muffled in the sheets) and with his tail twisting contently, just about ready to face the day. But first, he had a promise to keep… "Shiro! Get out here while I go find someone to make us breakfast." The white male appeared at his side, using condensed reiatsu as his medium for materializing.

"Mornin', King. Don' be long now—ya know how Grimmy hates ta let ya go out alone." Around another just-waking-up yawn, the Death Berry nodded and then trudged out of the room sleepily. Knowing he had very little time, Shiro immediately hissed at Grimmjow, waking him fully with a start and a snarl. Growling in return, he leapt on the bed and pinned the larger man by his shoulders. "Ya fuckin' idiot."

Watching the white male above him, the hollow's ears flattened with angry urgency, Grimmjow's eyes were wide and he couldn't help his ears sharpening. This _was_ someone who was more or less half of his beloved and current King. "I was a'ready aware o' that fact," he replied a little breathlessly.

Another growl came from Shiro. "Don't ya fuckin' realize King ain't still mad at you? He don' just nuzzle an' touch ya because yer the nearest other cat, he's got me if tha' was the case—he genuinely _likes_ ya! But ya ain't showin' no interest an' he's gonna give up soon; ya really wanna give up a chance ta mate my King just 'cuz yer still scared from yer last screwup? Ya _started_ the Courtship, I remember even if King don', now see yer shit through 'r yer gonna lose him entirely. He's already eyein' Stark an' Hallibel an' Renji—he knows 'e needs a queen, a Consort, an' if ya don' step forward as a potential yer gonna get passed over fer a goddamned _dog_."

That made his pride bristle, and he hissed back, "After he just lost his kits was not a good time for Courtship and he's still hurtin'! Ya can't expect me ta all o' a sudden return ta it! I gotta ease 'im in!"

With a low reprimand, Shiro nipped his collarbone _hard_. "Then do it. Yer door's still almost half-open, but I betta see ya tryin' fer his heart before it's quarter-shut!"

Though Grimmjow had no idea what Shiro was talking about, there was no time to ask for clarification because they heard Ichigo's footsteps returning just then.

"Kilan's bringin' it," he informed them, not caring that they were rather intimately pressed together. If Shiro wanted Grimmjow, all he had to do was ask and he was well aware of that. What was his was also Shiro's if he cared to claim it. Climbing onto the bed with them, he stretched himself over their legs and pillowed his cheek on his hollow's back.

The white felid tilted his head, ears twitching as he twisted around to look at Ichigo. "Somethin' tha matta, King?"

Ichigo's ears were flattened, indicating irritation, and his tail was lashing intermittently. "Rangiku, Orihime, and Yoruichi were in th'hall an' they took one look at me an' laughed. Wouldn' tell me why. Tha's always, _always_ a bad sign."

Shiro's ear tilted as he thought. "Any bets on it bein' connected ta their 'yaoi' obsession?"

After a second, Ichigo's ears slicked back fully and he groaned. "Oh please Jesus let it not be the yaoi obsession. It probably is."

Shiro licked Ichigo's ear to soothe him, and Grimmjow stroked his tail, the combination of which turned their King promptly into a little pile of purring goo. A moment or two after they had begun lavishing attention on their monarch, Kilan arrived with the tray of breakfast, which the three devoured hungrily. Shiro then returned to his king (vowing he'd sleep for days after their little fun last night) and the remaining two braced themselves for another day of unsure negotiations. Grimmjow, walking deferentially a half-step behind Ichigo as was custom, mused to himself that the new garments suited him much better than that ridiculous shinigami uniform. Ichigo wore the skintight robes of Hollow royalty, the only loose parts being a short, removable train that reached from waist to knees and trailing sleeves. It was patterned similar to a lizard's lightning-bolt marks in Ichigo's colors of red and orange with black trim and ice-blue stitching on the collar with emerald stitching on the sleeves. Occasionally he traded the whole ensemble for a pair of hakama, but that usually only happened when he was working off his frustrations or 'playing'.

Ichigo stretched as he walked, Grimmjow supporting him when he stumbled, and thus they entered the throne room with Grimmjow's arm around Ichigo's waist and the smaller male rubbing his eye sleepily. Yawning, the king threw himself unceremoniously into his chair, Grimmjow seating himself in a comfortably cross-legged position at his feet. Raking his hand through his hair, the orange-head sighed and then turned his gaze on the soul reapers assembled at the table. "Alright, first order of business is…terms of truce, right?" The resulting six-hour discussion (more of an argument between Ichigo and Yamamoto with others tossing in the occasional comment as they watched the epic war of words) and finally settled with agreement that Ichigo let all hollows in the human word without his orders fall under the jurisdiction of the Shinigami and Shinigami that found their way into Hueco Mundo be examined and/or interrogated by Ichigo before being thrown to the Menos. Further negotiation gave the members of Ichigo's court access to Soul Society and safe passage in Hueco Mundo for seated officers and up (though Mayuri and most of his division were strictly forbidden from coming within two thousand kilometers of Hueco Mundo if he wasn't fighting for his life) and jurisdiction to punish intruders for both sides. Further, each agreed to station a liaison officer, an ambassador of sorts, within the other's command center. Ichigo's chosen ambassador was a nameless lower-ranked Arrancar who was weak and thus not a particular threat to the shinigami and since Soul Society was a bit short-staffed at the moment theirs would be chosen later; at present, the negotiating group would serve as temporary ambassadors until the official one could be chosen. Land rights, visiting rights, border establishing and restrictions would be negotiated at a later date, anytime between the next day to two months later.

The moment Yamamoto's screen blinked out, it seemed that the most inquisitive of the group could no longer hold her tongue. Yoruichi inquired slyly, "So Ichigo, started building your Harem already, eh?"

Ichigo froze up for a moment, confusion clear across his features before he cleared his throat and squeaked, "A Harem? I need a Harem?"

Where he sat on the floor, Grimmjow hunched in on himself and cursed silently. _Fuck. Forgot to tell him about that. Shit. Hell. Motherfucker. How the fuck did they find out?_ "Yes, yer Majesty, ya do. Minimum of three, plus yer Consort."

If possible, Yoruichi looked even more delighted at the fact that Ichigo hadn't known about this. "So then Grimmjow-kun is just your sex slave for _fun_? Wonderful! I'm glad you found someone you could connect with so well."

Where he sat on his throne, Ichigo choked and blushed cherry red. _"What?_ No, God no, he's not my sex slave! I don't own _any_ sex slaves! Holy Hell Lords, how do you come up with this shit?" As he continued his red-faced rant in this denying vein, Grimmjow couldn't help the vision that danced before his mental eye.

_Ichigo sat on his throne, regal as he so rarely was, truly a King luxuriating in magnificence and opulence. Grimmjow, wearing his customary loincloth and gold chain, with a soft black leather collar on his neck, to which was affixed a golden ring with a thick gold chain attached. The other end had been hung on a hook on the side of the throne, where many other hooks, all empty, awaited affixation of other chains. They were the place the Harem would be tethered, there for their Master, King, and Owner to admire and enjoy…for now, Grimmjow was the only one allowed his Majesty's favors. His eyes were drawn from the hooks back to his Master when the chain on his collar gave a light tug. "Come here," Ichigo commanded softly, his eyes shining darkly. Grimmjow knew that shine was one of lust and eagerly obeyed—posturing and resistance would get him nothing but frustration here. If he wanted satisfaction, submission was the key, submission and obedience. His King did not like to be denied, particularly not from his only slave._

_Kneeling at his feet, he braced his hands on the chair arms to look up at the smaller male. "Is there something you wish of me, my King?"_

_Ichigo ran his fingers through Grimmjow's hair, sensual and attractive all at once. "I am restless. I want to be pleased." _

_The panther bit his lip, shivering under the warm touch. "Would it please you if I touched you?" _

_The King smiled._

"_Yes."_

_Grimmjow swallowed. "Would it please you if I kissed you?"_

"_Of course."_

_Just one more…"Would it please you to hear a language of passion while I pleasure you?"_

"_It would please me greatly. I confess to great fondness for your native tongue."_

_Obediently, Grimmjow let the familiar flowing syllables of French come from his mouth, so different from the short, sharp syllables of Japanese. __**"You are beautiful tonight as always, Master. You radiate desire."**__ The King shivered. Grimmjow used his hands to part his King's knees, sliding his body between them. He was inching himself closer a little at a time—his mate always appreciated anticipatory build up._

"_**You are so tense, my Lord. Perhaps I should relax you."**__ He put his hands on the heavy muscles of Ichigo's thighs, savoring how they jolted under his touch as he made several long strokes from mid-thigh to knee, rubbing. When his 'massage' failed to do anything other than tense the other further (which he knew very well would happen, because the long strokes of his hands on Ichigo's legs reminded him of long strokes from Grimmjow's hands in _other places_, he pretended to be disappointed. __**"This is not pleasing you. Should I touch elsewhere?"**_

_Ichigo's voice was slightly strangled, but other than a slight tightness around his eyes his face was carefully neutral. "What you are doing is perfectly pleasant. For now, you may do as you wish." _

_Grimmjow grinned—when he was allowed to do what he wanted, he had a tendency to go straight for the prize. This would have to be an exercise in self-control. __**"You are tense all over,"**__ he murmured softly, letting his fingers lightly touch his King's abdomen, thighs, calves, arms, and collarbone, __**"from here to here to here to here to here your muscles clench and jump. Heat, maybe, will help."**_

_Again, Ichigo shivered. Though the King understood only smatterings of French, just hearing it got him 'hot and bothered', he'd once told him(and ever after Grimmjow used that to thoroughly prod and excite his King when the younger man tried to ignore him). Latching his mouth onto Ichigo's neck, he left his mark on each area, light teeth imprints and large love bites he knew the monarch would wear proudly on the morn. When he finished this task, tongue dipping into the sweet little bellybutton he so enjoyed teasing, he licked a path up to the orange-head's ear and lightly teased the lobe with his sharp teeth, thoroughly appreciating the body he was given leave to play with as no other was and catching the low gasp of breath his monarch gave._

"_**I want to suck you,"**__ Grimmjow growled,__** "take you in my mouth until you forget your own name, make you come so hard and so much I'll taste you for a week. I want to see the face you make when you're delirious with pleasure, again and again and again. I want to manipulate your entire body with a flick of my tongue, hear the sweet cries and uncontrollable growls and snarls you make when I dare to tease the head of your cock with the back of my tongue and drag the flat edge of my teeth from base to tip on your prick. Maybe if you pull my hair hard, I'll get mean enough to release your dick entirely and duck underneath to fondle your balls, play with them like ripe apricots between teeth and tongue until you shake with need and **_**beg **_**me to finish the job. Then, if you've made me feel sadistic, perhaps I'll bend you around, force your ankles up by your head so I can access your ass, tease you more and fuck you with my fingers and tongue until you come just from that. Do you think you'd like that, my King?"**_

_Ichigo finally gave in and moaned. "Y-yes, Grimmjow, I would l-like that." This concession being his only aim, Grimmjow immediately got to work, stripping off the King's waist sash and loose hakama, his eyes watching as he unveiled his magnificent prize, which was__—_

"Oi, Grimmjow! Tell these twisted wretches that I will never, **ever in my life**, own sex slaves!"

Grimmjow, still being a bit dazed from the vision (and it had just gotten to the _good_ part, dammit), answered honestly and with his thoughts entirely uncensored. "You won't? Why in the living hell not? It would be paradise!" When Ichigo facepalmed as a result, Grimmjow realized what he'd said and blushed as red as Ichigo had earlier, mentally thankful he'd shut his mouth before he completed that last thought—that it would be paradise for the sex slaves.

Ichigo corrected him, "A Harem I can tolerate, because I won't have anyone in it that doesn't want to be. But sex slaves have no choice at all and I'll not be doing that to anyone."

Grimmjow tilted his head. "Even if they're so alluring you want to jump them in the halls every time you see them, whether in public or in private?"

The younger man pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, not even if I want to jump them every time I see them, in private or public. If I found someone _that_ alluring, they'd be invited into the Harem in a heartbeat."

Grimmjow's brown furrowed as he frowned. "But then they could say no."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "That's the general idea, yes."

"But they could say _no_," Grimmjow stressed, as his King apparently didn't quite get it.

"Yeah," Ichigo replied, then explained (because Grimmjow was apparently being very thick today), "the whole point of it is to give them the _choice_."

"But if you give them the chance to say no and they _do_, that'll make you unhappy!" Grimmjow was almost gnashing his teeth here—for the love of God, didn't Ichigo _realize_? The only person among Hollows with the power to make himself happy was the King, because he could and would do whatever the fuck he wanted. You didn't, _couldn't_, argue with the goddamn King.

"Happiness is never guaranteed. All humans learn that. Forcing the issue also rarely makes the forcer truly happy, resulting only in a false illusion of happiness that makes the hunger for true joy all the keener." Jesus, he'd forgotten that Hollows didn't really know 'true' emotions yet and were content with the half-illusions they could get; they didn't get several human customs that were based on attaining the solidly 'real' emotions they could receive.

Grimmjow realized abruptly that the annoyance he felt was not his own. It buzzed _around_ him, stinging his skin like a reprimanding slap, just barely felt by his heirro but enough to spark his own annoyance and make him believe the foreign emotion invading him was his own. Frightened, and not knowing where in the hell it was coming from, he fell silent, trying to figure out the source of it. It changed then, to something warm that caressed him almost like a physical touch. "What's the matter? Is there an enemy close by?"

Grimmjow's brows furrowed. "No, no…jus' thought I felt somethin'…guess it's nuthin'."

Relief, like a drizzle of honey, wreathed his body, spreading sweetness with each touch. "Oh good. I'd hate my guests to be attacked because you and I were busy arguing."

The emotion he could feel wreathing his body like mist, or a finely woven blanket—was it coming from Ichigo? It had to be. Ichigo had turned and begun playing with his friends and Grimmjow could feel the honey-sweetness lessening to a neutral warmth with the faintest scent of orange blossoms…a neutral warmth and faint scent that felt like _coming home_, like something that had been missing had been restored. Whatever it was, he was apparently used to it, to have such a gentle, calm feeling when it enveloped him.

Giving a yawn, Ichigo suddenly plopped down in his lap, and he reflexively wrapped his arms around the lithe monarch. "You warm," he purred, his voice insanely deep, indicating he was not in his right mind, "I sleep naow." The hint of a 'meow' on the end of his declaration informed Grimmjow that the teen's more feline nature was manifesting and he was thus requiring a midday nap. More than happy to oblige his King, he called for a blanket, wrapped them both comfortably, propped them up against the throne and settled in for a little _siesta_.

In one of the other wings of the palace, a gaggle of screaming, laughing, playing children were enjoying the afternoon sun. A few of the older ones, the younglings, sat cross-legged on the floor, telling the cubs, hatchlings, babes, kits, and pups about the terrible times of Aizen, gone now, and how they used to live in the desert with their mothers or fathers and how hard it was. They told these tales with all the awe-inspired hatred of those who lived through a terrible tragedy that had at last gone for good. Several guards were assigned permanently to the group of children, babysitters really, because, well, with Ichigo being the kindest King they'd ever known, the Las Noches Palace was the safest place in the Desert of Death for children. Every single one had been brought here for safety. Of course, while this was the _safest_ place in Hueco Mundo for children, that didn't necessarily mean it was _safe_. The guards, while usually more of babysitters than anything, were there for good reason. A pair of blood-shot eyes, glittering with madness, watched the children from the shadows, insanity overriding the 'protect Offspring' drive with a single, dominating thought- _Easy Prey_.

[A/N] Now, there is an alternate version of chapter seven, about half of which I deleted to write this version- my nice, lovely reviewers can read this alternate chapter on request, and according to my Beta, EternalLove'sEclipse, the alternate chapter is most assuredly worth reading.


	8. Living World Hybrids? THE HELL?

CHAPTER 8

Among the guardians of the younglings, there was one female who stood out from the rest for several reasons, but most obviously because she shared something with her new King- _bright_ orange hair. It had been dyed that color when she died of an unfortunate accident…the idiotic hit man had confused her with a police informant, the bastard. The sheer rage of finding out she was murdered for no good reason and the hate she had for the man who killed her (because if he'd killed one innocent, who was to say he hadn't killed others?) turned her into a Hollow on the spot, and with the source of her rage still so close, she went after him first,rather than her family or friends. This resulted in a rather rare phenomenon among Hollows - she regained her human consciousness once the rage faded. This**,** of course**,** meant she spent her time hunting down and devouring murderers and criminals, which spiritual beings are unable to mistake for the innocent because of the black stain and hollow scent that clings to their living souls. Because she devoured souls that were accumulating Hollow spiritual energy, this meant she evolved alarmingly fast, skipping over Gillian rank entirely before accidentally tumbling into Hueco Mundo through the garganta left behind by a low-class Adjucas that had felt her and come to hunt her down, which she had promptly overpowered and eaten. She had happily lounged in a den she dug, her bushy foxtail sweeping the sand occasionally and eating anything threatening that came too close**,** until Aizen came and turned her into an Arrancar as one of his first experiments. She had retained more of her beastial traits due to the unrefined process, but she wasn't complaining- she rather enjoyed her sharp claws, vicious fangs, and acute hearing and vision. She was overseeing the youngest kits at the moment, contently letting them chase her tail since few other toys could be found. Besides, they were still too small to stray very far without exhausting themselves.

One of her eyes abruptly snapped open- she could feel something _wrong_ in the air. It was bad, very, very bad. It felt dangerous and it made her hackles rise. It was faintly reminiscent of when you accidentally strayed into, say, serious gang territory in Los Angeles (she'd done it once on accident when visiting a friend that had moved recently from her native San Rafael) and you had at least two mean, angry, violent fuckers eyeing you like a piece of fresh meat. It felt like a Hollow on the hunt, but there were _younglings_ here! Wrong, wrong wrong, wrongwrong_wrong_! It was all she could think, feel, and she ushered the kits under her for protection as she rose to all fours, lip curling to bare her teeth and a growl rising in her throat. Her hackles were up and her fur stood on end as she trained every sense she had on the surrounding shadows. Unneeded aggression or not, nothing and nobody was harming her kits!

It had been careless; the Guardian had noticed. It didn't matter though, there were other Easy Prey about, unprotected by the fierce little canine. The female was tiny anyway, she couldn't protect them _all_…she wouldn't be fast enough if it targeted one further away from her. Spying one, it stalked forward, all of its focus narrowing to the Easy Prey in front of it. It never knew that the vixen had found it until her teeth latched into it's throat.

Salixa had seen it, whatever it was, long before it reached the kit. Movement through the shadows had caught her eye, and she had _known_ it was the danger. She reacted before she'd even thought of doing so. A diminutive female, only five-foot-four and 110 pounds soaking wet, her appearance was deceptive when it came to her strength and most particularly to her viciousness. While caring, protective, and loving with kits, cubs, and the like, should a threat present itself to anything she cared for, she could be one of the most terrifying things in any of the three dimensions; thus was she now. Her sharp teeth latched into the throat of the thing, claws ripping and shredding flesh down to the bone, slashing the claws on her bare feet repeatedly and deeply down the hollow's vulnerable underbelly. The other guards were hovering protectively over their own groups to defend them should it get away from the vixen, and watched with slight awe at her sheer ability to destroy. With a low snarl, she brutally ripped out the throat of the mad creature, ignoring it's pathetic wheeze that would've been a scream of pain if it still hadvocal chords, and jumped into the air, landing on it's **(its)** back with an impressive aerial twist. From her new position, she tore off the two protruding limbs stop it's **(atop its)** shoulders, then proceeding to the arms, secondary arms, legs, and finally the tail. When she jumped off the tattered, pitifully crying lump of flesh, she decided it wasn't dying fast enough and though she'd like to let it bleed out slowly as punishment for approaching her kits with intent to harm, she also didn't want to expose the kits to the danger it still potentially posed to them.

She turned around in front of it and opened her mouth, a ball of concentrated, burning reiatsu forming in the space between her enlarged canines. What was left of the whimpering attacker was promptly burned to ash, and she licked her lips in appreciation of a job well done. It was at that point that she realized, as children, the kits could possibly have been traumatized at that display of violence. She would be heartbroken if they were afraid of her- as it turned out, she needn't have worried. The children swarmed her, exclaiming excitedly that "It was so cool" and "Could you teach us to fight like that?" while pulling on her minimal clothing for attention. Well, they were _hollow_ children after all…what she'd just done was the human equivalent of a martial artist driving off a bully and getting the subsequent lavish attentions of whoever they had saved. They loved her all the more for her protection.

Back with the King and his First General, they were still sleeping peacefully, Ichigo curled comfortably in Grimmjow's lap, head pillowed on the bigger man's shoulder. One of the orange tabby ears had given a vague twitch, but upon determining Salixa, the vixen, was sufficient to take care of the threat to the younglings, Ichigo's finely tuned instincts had discounted the disturbance near the children and allowed their owner to continue sleeping. Grimmjow, specifically conditioned only to react if his King reacted spiritually or physically, wouldn't even know anything was wrong until Salixa and the others made their daily report of the children's welfare. Ichigo woke slowly, flexing his ears, fingers, and toes to restore feeling after being curled up for so long, his cheek nudging into Grimmjow's neck. The panther woke with a slight purr, feeling the body pressed against his stretch luxuriously and thoroughly enjoying it. Being feline, he did what came more or less naturally to him - he nuzzled and licked the neck in front of him, eyes half-shut and still purring like a truck engine. Half-asleep, he didn't realize that, under normal conditions, he'd be afraid to do that because it could be considered as offensive to his king, as it treated him as an equal. With a little groan deep in his throat that just verged on a purr, Ichigo turned to Grimmjow and nuzzled his collarbone sleepily, licking up the thick cords on the sides of the panther's throat. As a result, Grimmjow's head dropped back to expose his neck more fully, displaying not only his submission**,** but his trust. It was a move he would perform for absolutely nobody but the King…nobody but Ichigo.

"Mine," growled Ichigo under his breath, giving his Panther General a loving nip beneath his chin to mark him. He wasn't even aware he was doing it, really, his eyes still closed and mostly asleep, too comfortable and warm to wake. He, like most Hybrids, simply wanted to mark his territory and his belongings. He didn't want anyone else touching what was rightfully his. Turned so his chest and face were facing Grimmjow and his nose was pressed to the strong neck of the blunet, Ichigo once more relaxed into sleep, but only for a moment. Something at the back of his head reminded him that he was supposed to be waking up, so with a small snort he folded his arms over his head and stretched more, finally forcing his heavy eyelids to open. Damn it all to hell, he didn't _want_ to get up! Finding himself perched happily in Grimmjow's lap, his previously forgotten shyness returned - he wasn't used to being so close, not when he was dreaming about what he had been dreaming about. Shit, Grimmjow was right - he needed to assemble a Harem, and soon. Uncomfortable with his body's reaction to his dreams, he awkwardly tried to shift out of Grimmjow's lap and wound up accidentally grinding his erection against the Arrancar's calf when he spread his legs to climb out of the comfortable cradle. He flinched from the sudden burst of pleasure, his nails digging into the thighs he'd braced his hands on, and he almost collapsed. He hadn't been prepared for that, and his elbows shook slightly as he tried not to let Grimmjow see his reaction. He was still quite sensitive to physical touch, even though his next Heat wouldn't be for quite a while yet. If Grimmjow offered to help him out, only a few touches would render him mute and immobile.

Grimmjow hadn't thought anything of it when Ichigo paused while climbing off his lap, but when Ichigo didn't just hesitate**,** but actually _froze_, that caught his attention. Thinking perhaps his King was hurt, he examined him more closely, and upon inspection noticed that the calf of his left leg was pressed firmly to Ichigo's crotch, and the other was actually trembling, probably from pleasure. Experimentally, he tensed that muscle and startled at the low, sexual sound this wrenched from his King. He became aware of the fingers digging blunt nails into his thighs when they dug harder, and his body shuddered at the delicious spark of pain. This was much too good an opportunity to pass up. "My King," he murmured, hands migrating to the orange-head's sides to massage lightly, "I see you have a bit of a 'problem'. You spend a lot of time taking care of us, your people…please, Ichigo, let me take care of you." He was quiet for a long moment, and Grimmjow was afraid he would refuse, but then he eased into the comfortable lap again, chest-to-back, and let his head rest against Grimmjow's shoulder. "Alright**,** Grimmjow," he whispered, "I'll let you take care of me once. Just - just be careful. My skin is extraordinarily sensitive." Grimmjow gently kissed behind the ear he could reach, noting the sweet shiver that racked Ichigo's form from the simple contact. "I will be." Then his hands untied the belt that unnecessarily adorned the Hollow King's waist and slid down his pants, hands converging on his prize as the smaller male let out a cry of rapture.

It was so _hothothot_, every place their bodies touched heat flaring uncontrollably even through his clothing, and when Grimmjow's hands landed on his bare skin he thought he was going to spontaneously combust. He didn't understand this intense, sudden desire, this abrupt need to be touched, but it felt so phenomenally good**,** he couldn't bring himself to ask the panther to stop. He wanted to just lay back and let Grimmjow touch him forever. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he wasn't going to argue with his own body, not after how much it hurt last time. Gentle lips nibbling on his ear caused him to jerk forward abruptly, a high whine leaving his throat as the most private, sensitive part of his oversensitive flesh was stroked, pulled, pushed, and rubbed in the most pleasurable of ways. Ichigo arched and whined and whimpered and moaned, his hands kneading at Grimmjow's thighs as he went out of his mind with unfamiliar pleasure. If _this_ was the last vestiges of his heat, he was terrified to be touched _during_ it. He'd go mad. His hips thrust against the hot hand pleasuring him, his nails clawing at the bigger man's skin and leaving deep gouges, the smell of the blood only heightening his sensitivity.

Grimmjow, somewhat of a masochist at heart, was only getting turned on by his King clawing at his thighs, almost unbelievably turned on in fact. The reason for his getting clawed only made it even more arousing, because it proved that he was successfully driving his beloved out of his mind with pleasure. His grip was carefully loose, and he was watching his nails, but the noises Ichigo made was causing a disturbingly strong reaction in his own crotch - he was hard enough to pound nails. It was hard to moderate his touches when he was so unbearably aroused. The other's ears were flattened submissively despite being the dominant in the relationship, his head thrown back and his throat bared, mewling and moaning every time Grimmjow moved his hand. The pleasure was too much for him to handle and he was spinning out of control, and Grimmjow was thoroughly enjoying being the one to take him on the ride. Whether his King would be pissed at the loss of control when he wasn't out of his mind with pleasure**,** would remain to be seen, but for the moment…

"Oh fuc- oh shhhh- aaah, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh fuuuckkkkk!" The King's hips rolled one last time, and he came, a beautiful display as his head slammed back into Grimmjow's shoulder as the milky shots decorated his chest, belly, and Grimmjow's hand. Grimmjow resisted purring loudly (as that might wake his king from his stupor faster) and focused on cleaning up the mess, starting with his hand and moving on to Ichigo's chest with slow, thorough, measured swipes of his tongue. The smaller man was quiet, languishing in his afterglow, the only indication that he was vaguely aware of his surroundings the fact that he shifted slightly**,** so Grimmjow didn't have to contort his body quite so much as he cleaned lower and lower. At length, the orange-head languidly turned his head, watching with a sort of poorly hidden fascination as Grimmjow finished making the mess disappear. Hyperaware of those brown eyes on him, Grimmjow gave his lips a last, nervous lick and swallowed to try and loosen his tight throat. Maybe he had gone too far and would be punished now? Or had he missed some? When he swallowed again (his throat was becoming rather dry the longer his King stared in that unreadable way) he felt the burning gaze follow the bob of his adam's apple and trail down to his collarbone, and lower…lower…low- oh, shit. He still had that rock-solid hard-on, and his King was staring straight at it. He shifted his hips uncomfortably, accidentally releasing a low sound when that rubbed his sensitive skin against the loincloth that was only barely covering him. Suddenly, a completely unbidden desire to _pleasure_ roared through him, and he barely had time to recognize that he was feeling a projection from Ichigo again before he was pushed flat to the floor and the loincloth shoved aside.

Ichigo couldn't help it; he'd been undeniably submissive, putty in Grimmjow's hand, and he'd spent too long in the Games and not nearly enough time out of them not to follow his instinct and reclaim his position as the Dominant. He wanted to put Grimmjow in the same state he'd just been in, he wanted to _pleasure him into submission_, make him beg, maybe even cry…oh, fuck that, he just plain _wanted_. And fuck all, he was goddamn _King_ and _Dominance Master_ and what he wanted, he would have! If his panther wasn't willing, he only had to say 'no' or 'stop'**,** but as long as he didn't hear anything along those lines, he wasn't holding back. The loincloth doing nothing to bar the King's way to Grimmjow's cock, it was easily moved aside to grant access and Ichigo just breathed on it for a moment, inhaling the scent and resisting the urge to nose the bigger man's crotch possessively. It was a dominant thing. Instead, he looked up into his General's face; there was no fear, no anger in that expression, not judgment, just quickly-fading surprise and a touch of hazy anticipation. Good. Grimmjow was handling the abrupt movement from dominant to submissive incredibly well, and Ichigo smirked before ducking down slightly to nose and snuffle at the blue pubic hair and delicate ball sack, memorizing the scent and establishing his position as the top with the silent promise that he'd be taking care of the blunet's incredibly tense and aroused body. Grimmjow made a low sound of animalistic consent, from deep in his chest, and huffed, startled, when he was given a quick lick as a reward. _Ah, he hasn't had much experience with a Proper Dominant_, Ichigo mused in amusement, _he doesn't know that when he does something to please me, I'm supposed to give him incentive to keep doing things that please me. This oughta be fun._

[Note: Nobody take offense to that right there, *points up at previous paragraph* it's subjective. To any of you S and M people who follow a different method, this particular kind is only Proper Domination as far as Ichigo is concerned. _Just in case_ I have any Masters or Pets or even just S&M fans out there reading my work. It's doubtful, but I cover all my bases.]

Grimmjow didn't understand. He'd given his okay (actually, he was a hell of a lot more than _okay_ with this) already, consented to trust his King and submit to him, so why was Ichigo still persuading? He'd _agreed_; there was no need to continue coaxing him with promises of personal pleasure beyond that which he would get from the rutting. He knew those promises were never delivered on once the consent was attained, if the dominant in question wanted to attain it at all, and in any case Ichigo was, well, _Ichigo_. More than just the King, but also the only man the panther trusted above all others, Ichigo was the only dominant that would never actually need to ask for his consent**;** for him, he gave it automatically. Still, as that slightly rough pink tongue slithered up his erection, he really couldn't say he was complaining about the extra coaxing. In fact, he'd go so far to say that the low, hitching sounds that choked out of him with every kitten-lick and tongue-prod were _encouragement_. Of course, sensitive and focused as he was, it didn't take him long to figure out that Ichigo had a method to his ministrations. The louder the noises he made, the more pleasure assaulted him, and the quieter he got, the more the pleasure lessened. His King _liked_ it when he got loud. It was so strange and different- all the Hollows that had dominated him had forced him, never waiting for consent, and they wanted him silent, hurting him if he ever made noise. Admittedly, he much preferred his King's way. Unsure if he was allowed to move, he struggled to keep his hips still as that _fucking wicked_ tongue continued the pleasurable torment, his head back against the floor as his neck arched from one particularly sensuous lick that rasped from base to tip and teased the head. He could feel himself seeping already (for the love of Kami, where had his _stamina_ gone?) and the pearly liquid was quickly cleaned away, new replacing it to be removed again. This constant cleaning thing was new, but oh god, it felt so good, so he was alright with that.

Then, Grimmjow would forever remember, he learned why higher Arrancar had been so fascinated by his wide mouth before he'd been promoted to Espada. Ichigo's lips closed around him and he was nervous only for a second (he had always been wary about _teeth_ being in that general area) before all he could comprehend was _hot_ and _wet_ and _moving_ and he thought he was going to die because nothing this good could happen to him while still breathing. He thought he screamed, but everything was so muffled he couldn't be sure, and then his entire body clenched and he was _coming_ and somehow there was wetness coming out his eyes and he was gasping for air, and Ichigo was licking his lips with the creamiest smile of satisfaction Grimmjow had ever seen in his life. Exhausted, he let his body melt right there on the floor.

Languishing in the afterglow with his panther, Ichigo swallowed down the last traces of Grimmjow's release and got comfortable where he was, pillowing his cheek on one of Grimmjow's hipbones since there was no abdomen that he would normally have rested his head on. The first ever lip service was always fun, especially if you had someone as good with their mouth as Ichigo was. He'd even made him cry! Purring quietly, he wrapped his arms around the slim waist and kissed the hipbone, letting his eyes flutter closed. Another nap sounded very, very good right now.

"My King! My King! Trouble in the human world!"

Well damn, there went _that_ idea.

Raising his head, he yawned again and sat up, cross-legged, before gesturing the small lizard-scout closer. "Report."

"Much fuss in the human world, my King, about a secret society within their own. They speak of Hybrids."

"Hybrids? What _kind_ of hybrids?"

"Natural-born, my King, and hidden deeply sub…subter…under the ground somewhere. A collapse or cave-in of some sort had occurred, exposing the Hybrids to the Humans."

With a growl, Ichigo rose to his feet. "Goddamn sinkholes! The network beneath the sewer system must've been exposed by one of them. Looks like I'm headed for the Living World." Grimmjow finally rose from where he had been lying nearly unconscious, suddenly alert at the mention of his King going anywhere without him. "What have living creatures to do with you now that yer family is here with ya?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow, then pointed to the ears perched atop his head. "See these? There's a bunch of Living World people with these, and tails too. One of 'em hid me from the rest of the world those two months I was gone, and I owe 'im. If they've been discovered by the Humans, they'll be needing help to deal with them. That'll be my favor, how I repay my debt." Grimmjow's shoulders slumped - he hated the living world, the air was too thin and there were too many stupid, weakling humans who couldn't see him, but there was nothing for it. If Ichigo had debts to pay to a man in the human world, to the human world they would go. "I understand, my King. When do we leave?" Ichigo casually hiked his pants back up and retied his sash, retrieving his shirt from where he had discarded it near the throne before his nap and slipping into that as well. The short train was left crumpled where the shirt had been. "Now. I have to work on damage control right away before the media really runs away with it and an unneeded war starts. The Hybrids would never survive human weaponry. Guns alone would completely destroy their population."

The First General obediently stood, straightening his sideways loincloth with utter disregard for shame, just like Ichigo. Pleasure was pleasure, and hollows took it where they could get it. If Ichigo had been blushing or hurried or uncomfortable, then Grimmjow might have been as well - that would've been an indicator that his King hadn't been fully comfortable nor fully pleased, a great shame upon him as the one Ichigo had chosen to share pleasure with. As it stood now, both parties were very satisfied and there was no need for modesty, shame, or guilt. They were, however, leaving the Palace, and that required a modicum of 'decency' so as not to offend the people they were going to visit. He also needed a gigai - damn, he hated those things. It felt like being covered head to foot in plastic wrap with breathing holes and took _hours_ to get used to. He had no idea what the customs of the Hybrids they were going to see were either, and he didn't want to piss them off because his King had good relations with them and he didn't want to fuck that up. As the garganta opened, he nuzzled the back of his shorter King's shoulder for reassurance, relaxing slightly when Ichigo nuzzled back. It was okay**;** _they_ were okay. That was all he needed.

Ichigo wasn't nervous as he and Grimmjow began the long walk on a reiatsu bridge through the inter-dimensional rip. Grimmjow was a man of his instincts**,** but he also knew how to control them when it was necessary, and both qualities would serve him well within Hybrid society. Living World Hybrids were much more attuned to nature and their animal sides, so anything that counted as 'natural' (which included everything from bodily functions**,** to sexual preferences**,** to being seized by an instinct and doing something completely stupid) was simply dealt with as a part of every day life**,** or was politely and silently acknowledged as uncontrollable and equally silently accepted. Tail flicking, his ears perked when they exited the portal, excitement in almost every line of his body. They came out in the center of the city, and immediately made their way toward the Bird sector. First stop was Moreav's place.

Grimmjow became slightly nervous when he realized that everyone they passed was staring at him, and many of them had wings and feathers. Everything smelled like bird. He pressed closer to his King, who was familiar and thus safe. The panther-cheetah turned and, while still walking, nuzzled the side of his jaw, Grimmjow's eyes drifting half-shut as he purred and nuzzled back, submissively nosing the stronger male's neck. He heard twitters and murmurs, blinking as he looked around them, and found the birds now gossiping and ignoring him as though he'd proved something. Realizing that they must have known Ichigo, and if he was submissive to Ichigo he was not a threat, he grunted irritably and blushed, hiding his face in his King's shoulder. The King only chuckled and nuzzled him gently again, against his forehead this time. Tail ticking amusedly, he then gestured his First General into a large nest-house, where he promptly shed his clothing at the door. Folding it neatly into a small pile atop his shoes, he explained, "The branches in Moreav's nest are still rough, and clothing only gets caught in here. You might be more comfortable in your Resurrection form." Grimmjow politely folded his scrap of loincloth next to the teen's, and silently released his sword- the command when spoken indicated a battle, while a silent release did not, and thus he appeared without his armor, feeling slightly vulnerable without the bone plating. Then the orange-head leapt up into the branches with familiar ease, and Grimmjow really had no choice but to follow - he couldn't let him out of his sight in an unfamiliar, possibly dangerous place!

As Ichigo vaulted from branch to branch, he grinned. It felt great to be back! He turned a flip and pushed off a branch sideways, parallel to the ground, and could practically hear Grimmjow grumbling at his showiness as he was forced to replicate the maneuver to keep up. The young King landed smoothly on all fours, Grimmjow right beside him, in front of the wicker table where Moreav was waiting, eyes bright and smile on his lips. "It is good to see you again, my friend. Have you made up with your pridemate yet?" Ichigo glanced subtly at Grimmjow. "Mostly. Not quite the way I wanted to yet." The bird chuckled, wings fluttering as he stood. "Fair enough. Things between myself and your Egret didn't quite work out as we'd hoped**,** either. But I _have_ found a human, one of the diplomats they've sent…Nate, his name is. It looks promising. And your search for a mate? Have you gained many prospects?" Ichigo picked up the cup of tea waiting for him on the table and took a sip. "Oh, more than I can count. I'm considering that pridemate we talked about, as well as a wolf, a shark, a dog, and a bat**,** and that's just within my immediate Kingdom**;** there are more among my pride that aren't with me directly, like another dog, another feline, and even a reptile. How has it been with the humans? I came as soon as I heard that they'd discovered you." Moreav chirped.

"They've been rather polite and accommodating so far, but that could be because they're on our territory. We were aware of scientists wanting to snatch us up for experimentation**,** thanks to your explanation of humans, so we always travel in groups and nobody's been snatched yet." Ichigo relaxed slightly, noticing out of the corner of his eye that as soon as he did, Grimmjow folded to his knees beside him, relaxing as well.

Listening to his desired mate's long list of 'prospects' made Grimmjow realize what he had been overlooking - he was not the only one who wanted his King and would gladly mate him if asked. His ears slicked down and his tail curled with displeasure at the thought of anyone else becoming his King's First Mate, the Consort, the partner he would value above any others he took**,** no matter how many mates he had. He wanted that title like he wanted nothing else, and the love and care that came with it. Ears flicking back up, he listened as the teenager continued. "Good. If you can find a mate to fly with you, that would be wonderful. I'm sorry it didn't work out between you and Toshiro. Your flight has been faring well, I hope?" The bird made a pleased noise. "Very well indeed. The Eagles have been forced to back off the perches they stole from us, thanks to your tips about using their own aggressiveness against them and using our speed and smaller size to our advantage. You are welcome onto the highest perch any time as thanks." Grimmjow wasn't sure exactly if that was figurative or literal, but either way he was sure it was some form of honor from the birds toward his King, and that somehow made him glow with pride. His king was so great to even become honored among other species! He felt a warm hand land on his head and massage his scalp, especially at the bottom of his ears, and collapsed into Ichigo's lap as his mind, for the most part, shut down.

Ichigo was thoroughly enjoying making the panther melt. He'd realized recently that being King of Hollows was actually scarily similar to being Dominance Master, except they addressed him by "my Lord" or "your highness" instead of "master". So he was slowly cultivating those skills again, regardless of who or how, and his favorite subject to use them on just so happened to be his First General and bodyguard. His tendency to kneel at Ichigo's side and slightly behind him only reinforced that similarity, which is why he was rewarding his General for behaving himself so well in an unfamiliar place around unfamiliar people. Ears swiveling to pick up noise behind him, Ichigo nudged the other feline up and off his lap. "On your feet," he whispered, "there is company other than us. The humans are here." Grimmjow jumped to his feet in a solid, fluid motion, paws thudding nearly inaudibly against the flat, wide branch they were on, tail straight out for balance and claws at the ready.

"Hello?" The voice that called from the concrete floor was unsure, almost reedy, and Moreav visibly perked. "Nate, my human! I will be down shortly with my guests, please make yourself comfortable."

Ichigo inquired dryly as the three began to descend, "Does he know what it means when you address him as 'your' human**,** or are you simply counting your flight-chicks before they've hatched?"

Moreav only blushed, which answered the question anyway.

As they dropped onto soft, thick rugs obviously placed for descent from the branches, Grimmjow kept his senses alert. The human came with two others, which was unimportant, as they were like Szayel's lizard-spies; their entire demeanor said their only purpose was to observe. The part that concerned him was that the bird's human smelled like affection and a faint scent of lie. The scent of falsehood was imposed _on_ him rather than emanating _from_ him, so he was not the one who had lied, but someone else was lying to him, and that may soon make for a very dangerous situation. He would warn his King once they were in private. Faintly wishing he had heels to rock back on, the panther shifted slightly uncomfortably, antsy. He wanted to go, he wanted to move, wanted to _do_ something…but Ichigo was calmly waiting, so he had to wait. He just couldn't do it without fidgeting. Flexing his fingers, he dropped into a crouch and braced them against the floor just to have something to do with his hands, delicately balancing that way, tail waving to steady him as he ignored the conversation and kept himself alert for Threats. It was the King's job to deal with things in a 'civilized' manner, to be in control, but it was the General's job to stay alert, to protect, to be wild and unrestrained so he could keep his King safe. Thus, he was ready when something tried to sneak in the back door. Snarling furiously, he leapt in front of it and it responded with a whimpering cry and a roll that bared it's belly. Slightly confused, he let his voice quiet, but his teeth remained bared. If it didn't want to attack, why had it been sneaking in here? The young male, as was now revealed, wiggled a little, whining pleadingly. Curiously, Grimmjow leaned down for a sniff.

Ichigo didn't need to look behind him to know what had happened. He could hear it easily, and the scent had reached his nose the moment the door opened - a young cat in heat had discovered two strong dominants nearby and had come to beg them to mate with him. It happened fairly often in Hybrid society, as young males had heats not unlike females**,** where instinct demanded to be mated. Ichigo was glad it was not something he had to endure more than once a year, while these felines had them once a month. It would have driven him mad if he had to endure that pain once every four weeks. He didn't look down when Grimmjow slunk back over, slightly tipsy on the youngling's hormones, and butted his forehead happily against his hip, purring loudly. The young one in heat had followed submissively and dedicatedly, and was now crouched next to the bigger cat and rubbing against him enticingly. He continued talking like nothing was happening - if he showed no interest, Moreav wouldn't either, and if both of them apparently discounted it, the humans wouldn't raise any questions until they had left, with any luck. One hand did, however, fall on the blue mane and scratch at his scalp lightly, giving him more or less permission to do as he liked.

Officially off-duty for a bit, Grimmjow silently ordered the younger cat to follow and retreated to a mossy corner, facing the others**,** but well-protected. Here he could take care of the other feline but keep an eye on his King at the same time. Quickly stripping the smaller male, he did as the pheromones and hormones dictated and got down to business.

Though one ear twitched and swiveled slightly, Ichigo otherwise had no reaction to the sudden eruption of yowling and sexual noises coming from the shady corner, and after a quick glance**,** Moreav and Nate ignored them as well. The scientific observers behind the negotiator were taking copious notes of course, probably trying to figure out if these were the 'mating habits' of felines in general**,** or an aberrational phenomenon, and Ichigo's tail flicked just the slightest with agitation just knowing they were present. After Mayuri and Szayel, he couldn't say he had a very high opinion of scientists in general, but at least for now they were only looking. If they tried to do anything _other_ than look, their deaths would be swift and merciless. After a grunt and a final yowl the noises of carnal nature ceased behind him, and he idly turned an ear their way. "All finished?"

"Naw, he'll need another round to get it out of his system completely."

A whimper. "Cheetah?"

Ichigo's tail stilled. _"You want me to mount you?"_ Of course, he only sounded like a growling cat to Moreav and the humans, but the other cats understood him perfectly.

"_Yes,"_ answered Grimmjow before he could stop himself, but he quickly recovered by adding, _"you're my dominant and he wishes to be fucked by the strongest. That's you."_

The more powerful crossbreed sighed, planting a hand on his hip as the other stroked along the length of his own tail. "Please excuse me, Nate and Moreav. The young one in heat requires me to attend him." He turned from them, hearing Moreav chirp in understanding, and dropped to all fours, stalking comfortably over to the young one, who immediately rolled onto his back to show his belly to him, unhesitant in his submission to the strongest cat. Ichigo accepted that submission, licking at his neck, and then rolled him over onto his belly and up onto all fours to mount him properly. Grimmjow, ever loyal, kept himself alert next to the King as the yowling from the submissive cat began.

The panther couldn't help himself - he kept sneaking glances. Ichigo was beautiful in pleasure, even if it was only the mild pleasure of one body mounting another, without the wonderful amplifying connection that was mating proper. The First Mate, his Chosen, the Consort, would be the luckiest hollow in the goddamn world. A particularly loud yowl made his ears flatten to block out the sound, and his tail tip flicked. Without question, _he_ wanted to be that cat, but he was already First General. To ask without being approached first**,** would be asking for far too much. The disgruntlement was making him restless again, and he began to pace in circles around the pair, tail lashing. He could say it was just the lingering sexual tension and the scents in the air if he was asked, but Ichigo seemed sensitive to that sort of 'issue'**,,** so he probably wouldn't ask. Thankfully. Grimmjow got even a bit more jealous of the cat (more of a kitten, really, barely sexually mature, the panther thought derisively) when Ichigo cleaned him up afterwards. That was a gentle, caring gesture, and it was probably making that lucky little bastard feel warm and loved; Grimmjow had never received such kind treatment from anyone who had taken advantage of his own heats before he'd evolved enough to cease having them. Of course, the difference was that in this case, they had volunteered to help out the suffering feline, which was very, very different from taking advantage of his inability to refuse.

He nuzzled against Ichigo as the unknown cat slunk out the back door he'd entered, heart nearly bursting when his King nuzzled back. They returned to the bird and blushing human, which made the Hybrids grin widely at him. It was so cute how embarrassed these people got by natural behaviors!

Ichigo couldn't help thinking how only months ago he would've been blushing just as badly, and he patted the man's arm reassuringly. "You'll get used to it," he promised. "It happens in the feline sector all the time. We barely even notice anymore."

Though his blush darkened, the human cleared his throat. "I wanted to ask about the sectors. Are those official or just happened from natural congregation?"

Grimmjow frowned. "Can't be official. Me an' Ki- err, Ichigo wouldn' be in this sector if it was." He looked up from his place by his Majesty's hip. "Right?"

Ichigo scratched his scalp gently, ears just barely catching the quiet purr in response. "Correct. There are many areas where the sectors bleed together, but the sectors formed more as a protective measure than anything, for both themselves and others. Predator hybrids sometimes did not trust themselves around prey hybrids, especially if they were their animal half's prey of choice. Bats around butterflies, for instance. They formed predator-only communities because then**,** they didn't have to worry - if their control slipped, there was always somebody bigger or stronger to bring them back into line, or many others who could subdue them. Prey did the same thing, except to protect themselves from rogue predators that lost control entirely and went feral, but escaped before they could be subdued. There is a rogue-catching squad made of all the biggest, fastest, and strongest predators and prey alike to try and catch and tame those rogues, but the rogues caught on eventually and now work pretty hard not to get caught. They might be feral, but they are by no means stupid."

Grimmjow bumped up into his hand for attention. "They started formin' rogue packs an' villages, din't they?" Hollows did that while still at the lower levels**;** it was a safety-in-numbers instinct that lasted straight through to Vasto Lorde.

Ichigo nodded and scratched more, rubbing the base of his ears and feeling Grimmjow quiver as he fought not to melt, and added, "The only way to tell a rogue pack apart from a typical pack from the 'civilized' quarter**,** is that there will never be an opposing person mixed in. There will never be a lion within a bird flight, for instance, nor an insect within a bird flight. Predators do not mix with prey and prey goes nowhere near predators. Recently, however, they have begun to send emissaries to the city to argue the Rogue Catchers should be disbanded because they are another species entirely and do not want to become 'civilized' again. Their primary comparison is the Europeans and the Native Americans- they are simply a people more connected to the Earth and their animal roots, so we shouldn't interfere. It's being debated in Council, but it's looking like the rogues will likely get the separate designation they wish."

Nate bit his lip, shoving his black bangs out of his face and seeming not to notice they fell right back into his eyes. "Won't that possibly cause dissention eventually? Prejudices and the like, as we still have among we humans?"

Moreav inclined his head. "That was our main argument against the designation. However, after a certain point, those who have gone feral cannot adjust well to 'civilized' society once tamed, and they all say they would have much preferred to stay wild. We Hybrids were humans once, back in the beginning, and thus we have never had a problem with prejudice as all such issues were quickly eradicated back in the beginning." The humans nodded, the two in the back looking nearly orgasmic with all the information they were gathering, and it was then that all their watches beeped in unison.

"Pah," Nate made an irritated face, "looks like our time for this visit is up. The bosses want everything timed until they trust you guys, which is just ridiculous. If you wanted to kill us, you would've done it long before now. Besides, it's not like I'm bleeding profusely and walking through the Shark sector to unfairly tempt all of them like a moron, just visiting a friend who happens to be a Hybrid. I'll try to be back tomorrow, okay?"

As the humans retrieved their shoes (only those able to visit the upper branches were required to disrobe, and out of them so far only the Hybrids**,** until the humans were more comfortable with Hybrid customs, but no shoes were ever allowed within nests, dens, or most other buildings for that matter) Ichigo and Grimmjow bid farewell to Moreav and exited as well. They would not dwell within the city as, being partly Hollow, they were both a little too feral if surprised or threatened, but Ichigo knew of an unused rock den just outside the city outskirts that had probably been abandoned so the Rogue Catchers wouldn't find them. It wasn't nearly time to bed down yet**,** though, and after that mounting earlier**,** both were somewhat energized, so Grimmjow asked his King if they could play. There were no Menos to destroy, or other hollows, so Ichigo asked what he had in mind. Wrestle-play, cub-play, Grimmjow suggested, and the teen's entire body perked up. He'd never been able to engage in cub-play even as a cub, so that sounded very, very good to him.

They were grooming each other's tails of the dust and dirt after taking a break to rest**,** when both of their ears perked up fully and they looked up. They could hear wings. Only a moment later, a flight of big, built birds came into view, with lots of colorful feathers in every imaginable shade - parrots, by the smell of them. If Ichigo remembered correctly, parrots in the wild were highly aggressive and could get downright evil to each other - a flight of them against outsiders would get equally cruel. Body tensing, Ichigo twisted to reach Grimmjow's long ear and whispered into it, "No spiritual moves are allowed against them. They're only mortal."

Grimmjow flicked his tail sharply, showing he understood, and the pair rose to their feet, side-by-side. The birds closed ranks tighter than they already had, and the panther knew the coming confrontation was unavoidable. He glanced at his King, the jagged, triangular teeth of his release form baring on instinct. _"Am I allowed to kill?"_

Ichigo bared his own teeth, tail tucking close to his legs protectively. _"They're Rogue. Attacking predators, even in a flight, comes with risks. They have to learn to accept those risks as real. We will eat well tonight."_

At the mention of being able to eat the ones they killed, Grimmjow's mane bristled excitedly. Living flesh didn't do much to satisfy his spiritual appetite anymore, not after evolving this far, but it had never stopped being fantastically delicious. And he could always consume portions of Ichigo's overflowing, nearly-solid reiatsu if his spiritual hunger got too strong. Unable to resist, he licked his lips, and grinned wider as he watched the feathers puff out in threatening displays. He let his mouth hang open, in preparation for biting, as well as to draw their scents over the gland in his mouth and scan their emotions. Pure aggression and fear was all he could taste, and it was already making him anxious and fuzzy-headed. He braced his body and spread his claws, inhaling again that heady scent.

Ichigo had to fight the urge to sway back and forth on his feet in preparation to fight. Grimmjow was already egging them on. "What brings a flight of birds to come after a pair of harmlessly playing felids?" His whiskers twitched as he talked, betraying his ready state of attack, and none of the parrots failed to notice.

The apparent leader's lip curled, showing his dull human teeth in a very feline threat display. "You are on our land."

"There are no scent markers, and if there were we wouldn't care. I eat things four times your size for _snacks_."

Grimmjow snorted - a hollow four times their size wasn't _even_ a snack for the likes of the King.

Ichigo ignored that. "You are Prey. Better, you are _Rogues_, and I am perfectly entitled to kill and eat you, which I will if you continue provoking me." His fangs itched. His eyes ached and stung. His whole _body_ was jittery. He could debate the ethics of devouring something mortal that was part human when he wasn't hungry. He shifted onto the balls of his feet when the leader flared his wings.

"We have greater numbers and you stink of the civilized kittypets! You could not hunt nor fight to avoid starvation, you pathetic tamed _lapcats_!"

A loud screech signaled the attack and they descended as a single swarm.

Grimmjow roared in unison with Ichigo and they leapt forward.

The birds quickly discovered these were no tamed kittypet weaklings. They each landed on a bird and tore into their wings with teeth and claws, jumping off and onto another and another and another before the victim, now spiraling toward the ground, could retaliate, or a nearby flight member could come to their aid. Worse, they were _fast_, and more aggressive than most feral felines were, and their claws were long and sharp. With almost half the flight grounded in a matter of moments, the remainder quickly landed, wings being protectively tucked away, hands transformed into talons and taloned feet back into human feet for better grip against the ground. They closed into a bristling circle, talons everywhere, their wounded in the middle. A few lay unmoving**,** with broken legs or necks, blood leaking all over and sinking into the dirt, but they would have to count their losses and mourn later. The one with all sharp teeth and black fur began to come after them, but a sharply spat order in Feline that they couldn't understand and he arrested his movement immediately to return to the smaller cat's side. Planting his clawed human foot firmly in the back of a body struggling toward their circle and pinning him brutally, making the captured bird scream, the smaller cat splayed his hand, ears back, teeth bared and dripping blood. Feathers fell all around them like rain. It was then the parrots realized that the one pinned beneath the cat was their Leader, and they began to lose confidence. He was their only protection from the Eagles, from the Snakes, from the Leopards that loved to pick them off! He was the only one big enough to keep them safe!

The second-in-command knew what she would have to do. She stepped forward, bowed her head sideways, and lowered her eyes. "Will you accept our surrender?" The bigger cat snarled, obviously not happy with the loss of battle**. ** Again he was sharply spat at, and again he submitted, ears flattening as he backed up and ducked his own head in apology. The hard brown eyes then returned to her, and she shivered. They had been soft and gentle when they had come upon the two, but the moment he was threatened they had become deadly and hard with a slit pupil. Why Leader had challenged them anyway, she didn't understand.

"I ssssuppose parrt of the terrrm of yourrr ssssurrrrender includessss rrrreturrrning yourrrr Leaderrr?" He couldn't help the roll of his curled tongue or the hiss of air between his lengthened canines, and he saw the change in his language made the birds tense up and Grimmjow shiver. How Grimmjow spoke clearly past all those jagged teeth of his had to be either unique, the result of long practice, or a hollow thing.

Second-in-command nodded. She didn't need pride. She just needed Leader, alive, so her flight could continue to survive.

Ichigo counted five birds down and either dead or too injured to move. More than enough to feed two cats. "Fine. Take him."

She did. Three of them holding him in their talons, they went to Demi-form and flew off, carting their injured, not looking back. They knew the cats would feast- that was the way of it. They would not make a mistake such as this again. Greater numbers did not guarantee victory, and if they did win, it might not be without significant losses. They could not afford to become the most-hunted among the birds again.

Ichigo and Grimmjow, meanwhile, were devouring the bodies. Grimmjow, having much more experience devouring animals with a somewhat human shape from his evolution, was teaching Ichigo how to properly strip away the feathers and get every scrap of meat from the fine-boned wings and sinewy talons, and glowing with pride at being able to help his King survive. They had consumed two bodies and half of another when he suddenly bristled, snarling, head snapping up and lip curling as he narrowed his eyes. A pride of felines were approaching, Black Panthers they smelled like, and cats in general were known to steal kills when they could.

Grimmjow recognized the instinctual response to a threat to his food that his King was displaying. It was only natural, considering this was probably his first purely predatory kill. It wasn't defense with a side bonus of having food, but killing food with a side bonus of defense, and he was adamant about not allowing anyone to take his food away. He licked between the bloodied ears to soothe his rumbling growl, and Ichigo turned wild yellow eyes up to him that demanded an answer to why his submissive defied him by attempting to soothe. Grimmjow lowered his belly to the ground, displaying he still knew who the boss was, and _mrow_ed, _"They show no aggression, My Liege. There is no threat unless you provoke them, and I do not wish to abandon our kills so soon. Please relax?"_

The crossbreed relaxed slightly, just barely, and Grimmjow resumed his soothing grooming. He was happy his King was allowing him to go unpunished. He'd probably get it later for his defiance, but for now, his dominant was indulging him. The Panthers were looking at him very oddly now though, and he didn't like the way they were eyeing his King. It was like they thought _he_ was the leader between them, which was just ridicu-… They wouldn't feel the reiatsu difference, would they? They would only register that Grimmjow was bigger and older, and a pure-breed…the panther cringed. If they treated Ichigo with disdain, they would quickly find out**,** not only that he was the dominant, but _why_.

"This is an impressive kill count, for parrots," said one of them casually, nudging one of the remaining carcasses with a foot.

Ichigo snarled and tensed; they were _touching_ his _kill_!

Grimmjow sucked unexpectedly on the base of one of his twitching ears and nibbled gently.

The panther-cheetah relaxed again, quieting.

"What of it?" Grimmjow inquired, voice a little gravelly. They were only mortals and he hadn't even had to use _sonido_. He could've killed them all, even without his King, if he hadn't been called off. They didn't need to build a reputation or draw attention, Ichigo had warned him, as they would only be here for a short while. No more than a couple weeks at the absolute outside.

"We're impressed. Every Predatory pride can use as many fighters like you they can get if you can fight off big, tough birds like these. You can even bring that filth of a cross with you. I suppose you must've felt sorry for it."

This time when Ichigo snarled, Grimmjow knew there was no soothing he could do that would ever be able to convince him to hold back, and after that kind of insult Grimmjow wasn't inclined to try.

One moment, the Panthers had been proposing to the fighter to join their exalted ranks, and the next their leader was pinned to the ground, the smaller mutt dragging his claws across his sides as he bit furiously at his shoulders and chest, one hand under his chin so the pure breed couldn't possibly bite back. The fighter they'd been addressing was now calmly licking his paw clean, not looking at what the little filth was doing.

"I'm afraid," the unknown panther said around his cleaning, "that my Leader does not take kindly to being called 'filth'. You've brought this on yourself, y'know. I _tried_ ta keep him calm, but no, you had to not only call him 'filth', but an 'it'. He's a fuckin' King in our realm, an' he don't even treat the Rebels _that_ disrespectfully. He kills an' eats 'em, yeah, but he don't call 'em filth. He hates that condescendin' shit."

At that point, feeling the arrogant panther suitably punished for his offense, Ichigo pinned him to the ground and latched onto his throat sideways, teeth both at his spine and his trachea. It was the most aggressive and offensive way to establish dominance among cats, and the Leader reluctantly was forced to go limp. A bite from that position was an instant, guaranteed kill. Ichigo was still growling deep in his throat though, tail whipping furiously, and Grimmjow slunk over to rub against his side, licking his shoulder. _"You have punished him very thoroughly, My Liege…unless you wish to lead his Pride as well as your kingdom, perhaps you should let him live."_

Ichigo held him a moment more, then slowly released the throat in his teeth and climbed off. "I do not like being insulted. The only reason you live is because you have a pride to lead. I have enough people to look after." Giving a final huff, he licked up the side of Grimmjow's face, cleaning him partly, and turned his back on them. "You deal with them, Grimmjow. I am going to return to my kill." He would attack again if he kept looking at them. He knew he would, and likely**,** so did Grimmjow. It just made him so _mad_ that they had called him a 'filthy cross', like something to be pitied, like the scum of the earth!

Grimmjow kept his ass firmly planted, wishing vaguely he could call out his armor, but that would mean going back to his human form and releasing again, and that would take too much time.

"I understand now why you defer to him." It was the leader, sitting properly now, though he winced every time he moved. "He must have bitten you very hard for you to be so submissive toward him, yes?"

Grimmjow felt himself glow with pride again as his tail flicked. "I've never needed ta be bitten. Cuffed a time or two, perhaps, but never subjugated with force. Once he proved he was stronger, I was a good lil' pride-member. I'll prolly get it for earlier though," his ears dropped sadly, "I kinda defied him when ya first showed up an' talked him inta not attacking right off. Punishment probably won't be too bad though, maybe my first bite to remind me he's in charge. He doesn't like to be brutal with his own unless it's necessary."

The leader watched him with calculating eyes. "Prove it. Prove he's a worthy leader and doesn't mistreat you, or I will fight him again for possession of your loyalties."

Grimmjow was alarmed - fight his king, over him? He didn't _want_ to leave his king! "He doesn't punish in front of strangers," he shot back, "my dominant is kind and doesn't humiliate us that way."

"Ask him to and it won't be humiliating," the other panther pointed out, and Grimmjow found he couldn't really argue with that.

So he slunk over to Ichigo. "They really want me in their pride," he informed him, tone respectfully quiet and low. He was severely exaggerating how much he normally deferred to his king to prove that he was a willing follower, and it seemed to be working as some of the others were beginning to shift uncomfortably, though the leader still stood firm as stone. "He will fight you again over me if…if I don't ask you to prove you are a good Leader."

Ichigo licked his hand and sat back to begin cleaning his whiskers. (Grimmjow hadn't realized he _had_ whiskers until now.) "And how would I prove this?"

Grimmjow sank down in a crouch, not liking to be taller than his King, or at least not more than usual. "I, uhm…I defied you earlier. You wanted to attack and I - if persuasively - told you not to. You agreed, but that kind of defiance usually warrants punishment later, away from prying eyes. He…he wants me to ask you to punish me now, in front of them, so he can see you're a good Leader."

Ichigo looked at him in consideration, eyes sweeping his body. "You agree to his…proposal?"

The Arrancar shifted uncomfortably under his monarch's gaze. "I…I don't… I don't want him to challenge you over me. I just…want him to go away**. ** I want to stay with you, as _your_ First General."

Ichigo's eyes softened. "Very well. I will punish you now." He abruptly pinned Grimmjow to the ground on his back, a hand on each of his shoulders and straddling his hips, tail straight out and ears upright.

Grimmjow, taken off-guard, whimpered submissively, ears flattening and tail tucking under his leg. Eyes wide, he curled his arms by his chin to display his vulnerable places completely, twitching nervously when Ichigo started sniffing and licking him clean, starting at his collarbone and working his way down. This wasn't punishment, was it? What was his Majesty doing? At the waistline of his loincloth**,** Ichigo abruptly came back up and latched lightly onto the front of his throat and held him that way. Grimmjow stiffened for an instant before going limp, a small mewl leaving his mouth without his consent. Ichigo held it only a few moments before releasing, reaffirming his dominance painlessly and leaving Grimmjow to pant, wide-eyed, throat hot and body about as firm as a cooked noodle. His king licked the indents soothingly, then got off of him and nudged him in the side. Grimmjow immediately rose back to all fours, still trying to regulate his breathing, ears still submissively flat, and looked to Ichigo for further instruction. Ichigo purred at him and nodded to the waiting pride, who were now looking somehow chastised, and then returned to the kill. Grimmjow composed himself as best he could, considering that had been his first ever punishment since Ichigo had become his Leader and it made him a little wobbly. He settled on his haunches before the opposing Leader and cleared his throat. "Does that…satisfy you? Because…because I really want to get back to my dominant, if you don't mind."

The leader sighed and nodded, looking quite disappointed. He _was_ a good Leader after all and his second wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Sighing again, he called his pride and left, knowing there would be no victory here today, and did his best to ignore the pull of his wounds and the sting of the blood and sweat.

Grimmjow happily returned to Ichigo and they continued their gorging, and they did not stop until all five bodies had been consumed. The thing about spiritual beings eating mortal flesh was that they had unlimited space to store it within their reiatsu**,** in order to feed on it when prey was no longer plentiful. Call it a hollow defense mechanism. More than fully sated, the pair then cleaned themselves and each other before returning to the den Ichigo had found to settle in for the night.

Ichigo's eyes never closed. Now that instinct and hunger weren't driving him, the human faces didn't want to leave him; and it wasn't like hollows with grotesque masks and deformed bodies, not like the monsters he was used to killing**. ** It bothered him, especially since he knew they were more than semi-sentient, had families, communities. Perhaps they _did_ know the risks, just like soldiers going away to war, but did that make it any more right for _him_ to kill and eat them? He wasn't officially feral, he wasn't a mortal Hybrid that went wild, his instincts were different from theirs…but were they, really? The faces would appear again and his thoughts scattered before he could come to any conclusions or answers. Even if _they_ knew the risks, their families would miss them, surely! They were sentient, if more in tune with their violent and animal natures.

…Weren't they?

Grimmjow spent the night wondering why his King wasn't sleeping. His tense reiatsu betrayed something was wrong and it worried him.

[A/N] I AM _SO_ SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG! I DIDN'T MEAN TO, I SWEAR! College life caught up to me and brought writer's block along, and my hard-copy co-authored fanfictions in two purple notebooks (one of which is patterned all pretty), one black notebook, a green composition book got in my face in an orderly line and demanded to be written in 'cuz it's been months. You know which ones I'm talking about, Ikuni Hattori, and you too, RenRen! Of course, that's in between school essays and ect. ALSO, IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL READERS- I KNOW I SENT _SOMEONE_ A LIST OF ALL PEOPLE WITHIN ICHIGO'S PACK, WHO THE HYBRIDS ARE, AND WHAT _TYPE_ OF HYBRID THEY ALL ARE. I HAVE LOST MY OWN COPY OF THIS LIST SO FOR THE LOVE OF AIZEN AND GORY NATURE SCENES SEND ME A COPY BACK OTHERWISE I'LL HAVE TO START RANDOMLY MAKING THEM UP ALL OVER AGAIN BECAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER ANY OF THE THINGS ON THOSE LISTS! Okay, I'm done ranting, please read and review and stuff. Seriously, reviews are my food, they're the only thing that fights off writer's block, I promise. I live on reviews, and coffee, and electricity straight from my laptop plug. And the occasional stray vampire or hollow, whatever I happen to catch late at night when I'm up writing this with odd songs resonating in my ears thanks to the lovely little 'randomall' button.

Oh, and no, I'm _not_ crazy. I'm just an Authoress.

We fully-evolved breeds of Fangirl Authoresses are like this naturally.


	9. Mistakes and Council

CHAPTER 9

When the morning came, sunlight peeking into the den, Ichigo restlessly rose. Grimmjow wanted to ask, but unless it started to seriously disturb his leader it wasn't his place, so he simply got up and followed him without a word. They went and bathed in the nearest river, then rested on some sun-warm rocks while they dried. Still very full, it was a leisurely morning, and Grimmjow's thoughts strayed to how perfect a morning this would be if they were mated and they could top off the morning with some good, vigorous rutting.

"Grimmjow. What are you thinking about? You smell strange again."

Grimmjow flicked his tail, glad the rock they were on kept his dick from rising to slap his belly uncomfortably. "Thinkin' that rutting woul' be a perfect end to this morning. It's that kinda lazy day." Suddenly a hand was fingering the base of his tail, and he yelped loudly as he jolted against the rock, sensitive skin scraping the stone roughly.

"I think I have to agree. A good dose of pleasure would end this morning in the most perfect of ways before we have to get back to work." Ichigo's voice had dropped in tone, and his other hand latched on to Grimmjow's hip, tugging him upwards so his cock would stop hitting the rock, and instead jutted straight out in front of him like an arrow.

The panther whimpered, his head hanging forward as his dominant manipulated his body. It felt _so_ good, to be touched by those warm and familiar hands, and to know he could simply let go and trust in Ichigo's control. He let his noises come, whimpers and whines as his ears slicked back submissively, the scrape of his claws against stone and the swish of his tail as it jerked and twitched at each touch. His protective foreskin was pulled forcefully down and back, though it had already begun to retreat as the skin contracted from arousal, and sharp claws gingerly collected the slight smears of wetness that had appeared in the edges of it. Ichigo's fingers were magic, twisting and flicking, the sharp edges and points of his claws a delightful feathery touch that didn't even scratch him, his thumb dipping behind his balls to rub another magic spot that nearly had him seeing purple spots, and Grimmjow writhed and moaned and cried out with each touch and new sensation. He roared when he came, his lungs nearly collapsing from the sheer volume and force of his voice as his world was overtaken by formless white dancing with purple spots.

When he returned from his blackout, Ichigo had just finished licking his hand clean and was lying casually on his side, dominance practically screaming from his pores. Still, the unsheathed dick bobbing just above his belly belied his relaxed and lazy pose, and Grimmjow did something he never, _ever_ thought he would willingly do- he crawled forward on his belly and mewed low in his throat, quite literally begging to please his superior. An orange eyebrow went up, but Grimmjow whined pleadingly and let his eyes dart from Ichigo's to the reddened tip of his cock and back again to indicate what he wanted to do and why. His king visibly considered, then rolled onto his back and spread his legs wide enough that the bigger man could comfortably fit between them, dick now bobbing out in the open. Grimmjow thought, personally, that he'd never seen anything more enticing in his life. It looked disturbingly delicious. Tanned shaft the same darkened peach as the rest of his flesh, his foreskin long drawn back and the red, almost irritated-looking unsheathed head gleaming wetly, somehow it drew from his gut a similar hunger to when he was presented with easy prey or a fresh kill. He licked his lips. A beaded drop of precome emerged from the tiny hole in the head immediately after. Startled at the timing of that reaction, he looked up to find Ichigo's smoldering brown gaze on his face, his stare steady and calm, but so intensely lustful that Grimmjow suddenly wondered if Ichigo wanted that kind of 'pleasing'. It was a distinct possibility. If he did, why didn't he ask for it? Or simply demand it of his submissive, as was his right?

As he had now spent several minutes staring, Ichigo's knees drew up, his feet coming to brace against the floor, and Grimmjow suddenly realized how different the two postures were. Previously, Ichigo's body had been spread open like a buffet, and he'd been easily able to access every part of his person from his current position directly to Ichigo's right. Now, he was propped up on his elbows, and his raised legs cut off his groin area completely from Grimmjow's sight and made it a harder, more awkward reach if he even attempted to access his dick. This second position was far more defensive, and with his feet braced like that he could dart up and away at a moment's notice, which signified discomfort. Thoroughly disturbed by this abrupt change, he quickly scanned the area for any possible threats and found nothing. If there weren't any threats even close to the vicinity, which there weren't, that meant his change in posture had been caused by Grimmjow somehow.

His king suddenly drew his legs into a full curl abruptly, and stood fully before diving into the cold water. Bewildered, Grimmjow scrambled to follow, but was ordered not to with a short feline chuff, and wound up sitting forlornly alone on the rock, ears drooping and tail still. He must've done _something_ wrong, but what? Curling his legs under him, he tried to figure things out. The biggest thing was that one moment, Ichigo had been completely open, and then the next, he wasn't. Moments later, he was gone, into the river- it was _cold_ in there…oh. He was using the cold water to kill his arousal. That answered why he had been commanded to say behind, but what had given Ichigo reason to kill his desire so abruptly? Grimmjow whined in confusion and suddenly it came to him when he realized how pathetic he sounded to his own ears. Had he sounded like that to Ichigo?

Ichigo would on occasion, when questioned why he did not order certain things that would most certainly bring him pleasure in some form, lecture at length about how highly humans, and thus he, valued _choice_. He wanted the things he wanted to be given to him freely. It was how he'd always lived and he would have it no other way. Which meant…which meant there was always the opportunity to say 'no'. It was highly likely that Ichigo had just interpreted his long hesitation as a shy or fearful refusal that he just wasn't willing to voice. And, if Grimmjow was honest with himself (and he usually was), he was unfairly relieved that Ichigo had decided to solve the problem himself. He was, sadly, a little afraid of doing what he had been thinking of doing. Even considering using his mouth to please his king sent a shiver of fear and distaste up his spine as the gorge rose in the back of his throat at the memories that swarmed him. He could still taste them…his _superiors_. He hadn't been strong enough to fight them off, but he'd quickly fixed that and fought his way up so nobody would take advantage of him again.

But Aizen had. He'd used whoever he pleased as his personal sex toys, and he'd always considered Grimmjow one of his most handsome 'creations'. The bastard had been the unofficial King, just like Ichigo was now…and he had been unable to refuse. More accurately, he hadn't been _allowed_ to refuse. The one time he'd tried, Aizen had bound him with reiatsu-draining ropes and used brute force to…Grimmjow swallowed hard to resist the strong urge to vomit. He loved Ichigo, wanted to please him and give him whatever he wanted, but what Aizen had done, holding his head in place and being unable to control any of it…oh, it scared him. It terrified him, in fact. Sure, Ichigo had done it for him, but Ichigo was stronger between them. If he'd wanted or needed to hold Grimmjow down, he could have. Grimmjow couldn't. If Ichigo started to…use him, if he couldn't breathe, he was in trouble.

He was yanked from these thoughts when Ichigo climbed back onto the rock and shook himself, sending water droplets scattering, body oddly relaxed and cock once again limp. He sat to squeeze the water out of his tail, ears flicking repeatedly, and Grimmjow sidled up beside him, murmuring softly under his breath. He wanted reassurance that his King wasn't angry at him for balking. Ichigo murmured back and stroked his shoulder, affirming they were still close and everything was alright. Grimmjow had a strange feeling that not everything was the same though, and he latched onto it quickly when he realized the cheetah's subconscious body language had changed. He had always been a sensual man simply by nature, even as a human teenager, it was just the way he was designed. That had stopped. He had become conscious of those movements and ceased to make them, overthinking every gesture so none could be misconstrued. Grimmjow could tell by the way he started to reach for Grimmjow's shoulder and visibly changed his mind, his hand instead coming down to brace his body, not touching him at all. Grimmjow didn't like it. Pride members _touched_, a lot, and Ichigo wouldn't lay hand on him now. Did he think it would spook him? He didn't refuse any of Grimmjow's touches, so it couldn't be repulsion or hurt caused by him, which meant reluctance to spook him, _him_, a lowly General and submissive, was what had changed his behavior. He had to fix this.

"Maje- uh, Ichigo…" He tilted one ear the panther's way to indicate he was listening, a vague "Hmm?" his verbal acknowledgment. It wasn't really needed, but it was habit. That was a strange tone Grimmjow was using, as well, one he'd never heard before. Still, he didn't look at him. He'd already scared Grimmjow once today, he wasn't doing it again. "Ya din't scare me, y'know." Startled, as he seemed to know his exact thoughts, he whirled to look at Grimmjow. His First General was sitting with his tail tucked and ears submissively flat, almost embarrassed or ashamed. "It's jus' tha' it occurred ta me ya migh' like ta be, y'know, pleasured wit' m'mouth…like ya did ta me. An' I uh…kinda balked 'cuz Aizen…made me do tha', an' it hurt. A lot. I mean, don' get the wrong idea, I _wanna_ do tha' fer ya…I'm jus' kinda scared o' the idea."

Ichigo looked away again. "Don't worry 'bout it. You know I don't demand things. I can get by fine, it's not like I'm too good to solve the problem myself."

A claw-tipped hand on his chest pushed him gently down against the rock. "Bu' ya shouldn' have to. I _wanna_ do it fer you, dont'cha understand? Jus'…don't get impatient wit' me. Lemme take m'time." Ichigo forced himself to relax and scolded his dick for the tiny twitch it gave at the look that Grimmjow was giving it. Grimmjow nuzzled his stomach, and Ichigo tried not to giggle.

Grimmjow was slightly disappointed. That was _supposed_ to arouse him, and all he got was a twitch and a giggle? Shit, Ichigo was different from…he was different. Had he ever made a willing gesture to his previous superiors, they would've been rock-hard in mere seconds.

"We have business to attend to," Ichigo said, sitting back up and leaping over to his pile of clothes in a single smooth movement, giving Grimmjow no time to protest or persuade. "We'll be attending Council today, and I want to be one of the first ones there. It'll give me time to scout my competition."

That being completely sensible, the General couldn't argue, but he noted a slight wariness to the younger male's frame when Grimmjow started to get too close. He cursed himself for making Ichigo reluctant to share pleasure with him again. In all likelihood, if Ichigo became aroused again in the near future, he would hide it from him. Ichigo appeared to still be perfectly comfortable with _providing_ pleasure, but he now was reluctant to _receive_ it, and with Grimmjow already so attached to his King that was simply unacceptable. This would be fixed _today_…after business was attended to.

Ichigo tried to figure out how to avoid getting in another sexual situation with Grimmjow in the coming hours as they dressed and meandered back to the city. The Council chamber was in the very center of the city, the various sections positioned like a wheel with the City Hall the hub, and the main feature of City Hall was the Council Chamber. Still, the hormones floating in the city were affecting him, and he kept forcibly redirecting his mind away from the dirty things he wanted to do to Grimmjow down a shadowed alley. Instead, he concentrated on reviewing Council protocol. Every species and group was represented, if they wanted to be, but this naturally presented a slight problem- that of predators intimidating prey to agree with their political leanings. This was remedied by virtue of politically neutral bodyguards, crocodiles and lions, eagles and snakes, strong creatures that were unintimidated by predators and kept order. Being part animal, "keeping order" got messy from time to time, but that simply meant the occasional body was removed during particularly heated council sessions. Outside City Hall, he looked up and gave a little sigh. "C'mon. I gotta get changed for the meeting, best to get it over with."

Grimmjow crept along behind him loyally, footfalls silent. "Uh, if ya don't min' me askin', why do ya gotta change?"

They walked inside and made an immediate left as Ichigo sighed again. "Predatory animals are intimidating just by virtue of being predators, and as a result, most of us agree to dress in minimal, neutral-colored clothing so we don't subconsciously intimidate others with bright colors or ostentatious clothes. Those who don't agree are carefully monitored to be sure they aren't attempting underhanded tricks by manipulating other's Instincts." His clothing was carefully folded and placed in a small storage hole in a honeycomb-like structure made of wood, and from that same space he pulled out a loincloth much like Grimmjow's, but minus the golden chain. It hooked closed on one side, the cloth on a black chain that spanned Ichigo's waist almost perfectly. When Grimmjow tugged on it in wordless question, his King informed him that it had, in fact, been made for him- he'd attended Council pretty much every day during the two months he had dwelled here.

Grimmjow slunk behind his King as they entered the Council Chamber, drooling over all the lush, tanned flesh that was on display in front of him. Times like this, he didn't mind being in the submissive position of following after Ichigo- the view was _spectacular_. Not that it wasn't any other time, mind you, but even a beta liked to watch his Alpha's ass every now and then, especially a beta that had once been an Alpha and that Alpha had only kicked your ass and taken his title very recently. The panther watched Ichigo nod and greet others politely as he wound through the chamber to his seat, which still faintly smelled like him (indicating to Grimmjow that he spent a lot of time in it) and sat down, Grimmjow sinking into the seat on his left, right where he belonged. There were a lot of predators in the room, mostly reptiles from the scent; they were the first thing the General noticed once he pried his eyes off his King. Most were big, tough-looking creatures that made his hackles prickle, and even the slender ones smelled acidic and dangerous. They smelled like _venom_. Interspersed among the reptiles were large cats, a smattering of tigers and lions, big, intimidating men, all. The panther surmised these were the 'peacekeepers', the ones who watched council members to prevent underhanded tactics. A rustle overhead made him jump a little, head whipping around- oh _god_, the rafters! How could he have missed such an obvious place that could house threats?

The birds up there were mostly golden-feathered and all were golden-eyed, raptors with strong talons and sharp beaks. They were positioned around the upper level of the council building in a mirror of the enforcers on the ground, which made it clear quickly why they were lurking like that and put Grimmjow slightly more at ease- though not completely. He could never be completely at ease anywhere but his King's chambers in Hueco Mundo where nobody could touch or even contemplate touching his monarch. Not that he would fail to defend him with his life, regardless of where they were, but there was always the chance he would fail and something would go wrong and Ichigo would die (totally ignoring the fact that the kid had proven time and again to be more or less as immortal as any soul could get). This was his instinct talking, and he knew it, but instincts like this formed from long habit, and he especially didn't want his King in danger. He resisted the urge to pace and watched the room in general until a hand on his hair, stroking his ears, dragged all his attention firmly back to Ichigo.

"So paranoid," he murmured, eyes a soft chocolate color, his lips curling into a faint amused smile. "It's cute. But unnecessary. I am immune to poison and impervious to the weapons of the living- so simmer down, General." Grimmjow ducked his head, shivering at his monarch's use of his title- it always gave him chills to hear it. Good chills. It made him sort of- _only sort of_- want to go to battle, to impress his King and prove he was worthy of his title.

Other hybrids slowly started to trickle in, their presence making the panther's hackles rise. Some, upon entering, were given very stern looks by the peace-keepers, and these Grimmjow surmised to be the most troublesome and likely to try a dirty, underhanded trick. He memorized each of their faces and scents, tense in his seat. No matter how much his King reassured him, he was Ichigo's bodyguard. Even if the orangette was in no danger of death from an attack, it was his duty and his privilege to make sure no such attack reached him in the first place. Gradually the seats filled up, Grimmjow watching those who sat around Ichigo especially closely. Nearly all the seats were full and everyone was starting to turn their attention to the front when a commotion started near the entrances, a rumble of alarm and confusion sweeping the entire room from back to front. Ichigo rose and Grimmjow copied him, both trying and failing to see over the larger hybrids to the source of the unrest. The Panther-Cheetah finally snarled in frustration and leapt up to the rafters, ignoring Grimmjow's surprised yelp, and scurried along the pathway of sturdy beams until he could see what all the fuss was about. When he did, he gasped and thudded to the floor, Grimm close behind. "Nate? What is the meaning of this?"

Nate himself looked quite confused. "I just came as a guest of Moreav. These guys insisted on tagging along," he jerked his thumb at the scientists behind him, "and the big boss told me I couldn't go unless they came with. Why is everyone so up in arms, Ichigo-san?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the scientists and Grimmjow noted that his posture suddenly became much more aggressive and angry. "They stink of chemicals," Ichigo explained with a low growl. "People here, me included, don't trust that scent. The chemicals could be anything- a sedative, a poison, an attempt to manipulate our already manipulated genetics."

Nate looked worried. "But- they can't help that, can they? They have to get sprayed down with disinfectant every time they come or go from the labs…"

Disinfectant didn't smack of danger like this smell did, but Ichigo simply drew Nate away. "There is no accounting for Instinct, Nate. Come, I will take you up to Moreav's perch." What he really wanted was to strip the scientists and confiscate whatever vials and syringes they had, but for now he would settle for getting Nate away from them. He was too kind- too easily manipulated.

"Oh-KAY!" Nate yelped when Ichigo scooped him into his arms and leapt up into the rafters. He gripped hard and tight, burying his face in Ichigo's strong chest, and instinctively Ichigo purred softly to soothe him. Nate relaxed. When he reached Moreav's perch, the Oriole was fluttering concernedly, and was visibly reassured by his human reaching him safely. Ichigo handed him off, the human blinking but not appearing to be distressed by being transferred from one set of arms to another. He was quick to burrow into the purple feathers and relax with a content sigh, bird and cat exchanging amused looks. Nate might be Moreav's human after all, for all that he had no idea what that meant.

When Grimmjow finally caught up with his monarch, Ichigo was already back in his seat, glaring malevolently at the trio of scientists as they took a seat close to the front. "My King?"

"I don't trust them," Ichigo said, ears flat to his head. "I don't like them. They're planning something and they brought chemicals. Be ready to move if they pull something. You and I are the only ones immune to whatever they use, because we're the only spiritual beings here."

Grimmjow ducked his head with a murmur of agreement. These beings stunk like Szayel on a bad day, and if his King didn't like them, he didn't either. He didn't even need to know why- the fact that Ichigo thought they needed to be watched was telling. He didn't even order watches on the Rebel gatherings; of course, when it came to the Rebels all he needed to do was show up and slaughter them, and that he had done and would continue to do.

Most of the council session passed in a blur to the First General. He wasn't listening- he didn't have to. Ichigo rose to his feet several times to offer his advice and opinion, voice calm and reasonable unlike the angry and sometimes frantic tones Grimmjow heard speak, their words slurring together unintelligibly in his ears. He was keeping all his attention on the men gathered in a tight knot at the front of the room. Their body language was sneaky and sly, and they kept fiddling with something in their pockets. He didn't like it. It set his every instinct on edge and made him restless, full of nervous energy, keeping him on his toes and ready to destroy the threat he was _sure_ they posed.

Then it happened. What his King had feared and what Grimmjow had anticipated.

The muscles of the hands buried in deep pockets tensed simultaneously with a soft crack and the hissing sound of escaping gas. The First General knew immediately what had occurred- he had heard it when stupid people fought near Szayel's lab often enough. Something kept carefully in a glass container had just been deliberately released, an unknown substance that would have unknown-to-Grimmjow effects. He instantly leapt to his feet, intending to take them down, but once on his feet he swayed, the room beginning to spin and blur. What was happening? Was this the effect of the gas? It shouldn't have reached him so fast- he was near the middle of the room and they were near the front, with a good fifty yards between them. As he stumbled and slumped back into his seat, he heard the muffled sounds of people all around him collapsing, but it was distant and strange as though his ears were stuffed full of cotton. His muscles wouldn't obey him- he couldn't get so much as an ear to twitch!

This had happened before; this was what happened when a superior Arrancar had used his reiatsu to bend the weaker Grimmjow to his will, when his entire body's functions had been beyond his control and at the command of another. This was what had seized him when Aizen exerted both his Dominance and his vicious strength. Grimmjow found his mind spiraling into panic as a terrified whine rose from his throat unbidden, getting steadily louder and higher in pitch as his Instinct took over where his conscious thoughts could not. His body reacted the only way it knew how in this situation based on past experience- it pleaded for mercy from the stronger force. This didn't usually get a result, but there was nothing else he could do.

This time, Grimmjow's plea _did_ get a result. A strong one. Ichigo burst from his body with a snarl, hackles raised and teeth bared- his First General, his submissive, his _potential mate_ was calling on his protection, begging with genuine fear. In a man like Ichigo, who was already hardwired to protect (something his dominant position only made much stronger), this did and would always produce an immediate, and in some cases violent, response to the source of the fear. Crouched on top of the table in Soul form, ears and tail already out in agitation, he hooked his claws into Grimmjow's gigai and pulled out his spirit, who was curled in a ball and still giving that awful sound of terror, clutching him to his chest and cradling the bigger body as his slit-pupiled eyes alighted on the only moving things in the room- those goddamn scientists. His reiatsu roared.

The Espada found himself arching with a little shriek as his King's reiatsu burned through him, burned _out_ whatever poison had transferred over from the gigai, and left him aching and tingling, but fully in control of his body and his wits. He scrambled to get on his own two feet and to hold back his King from attack- not because he gave a rat's ass what happened to the scientists even if their deaths _would_ cause another war for Ichigo to fight, no, for a much more instinct-driven reason. His Dominant had just protected him, and he didn't want his protection to leave him for any reason this soon.

Ichigo settled, a soft, croon-like moan rumbling his throat as he watched what the scientists were doing while his human mind began to return. It had been rather abruptly shoved aside when Grimmjow's instincts had cried for mercy and safety, both things he had always been quick to provide. They seemed to be moving with purpose, one human stopping beside one hybrid, each animal of certain factions, huge needles in hand. Ichigo recognized those needles- they were the kind used to take _bone marrow_ and just seeing them made him cringe and press Grimmjow close to his body. He noted each species- Golden Eagle, African Elephant, Great Panda…_endangered_ species were their targets. His medical knowledge sprang to the fore: bone marrow contained DNA, red blood cells, white blood cells, bone coding, bone-based stem cells that adapted to allow grafts and regrowth when marrow was lost, such as in a break. That made bone marrow valuable, _especially_ to a scientist.

Four movements so swift they couldn't be followed unless you had extraordinary reiatsu-sensing capabilities and each scientist crumpled where he stood before he could break skin with those horrifying needles and then Ichigo was once more braced over Grimmjow protectively. Grimmjow sucked in a harsh breath; those humans had gone down _simultaneously_ and his King had been back before his instinct even had a chance to register his going. Much more himself, and reminded of his monarch's abilities, he rose to all fours and steeled himself. He was First General, goddamnit! He was supposed to be Ichigo's right hand at times like these- it might not be a battle situation, but there was a very real threat! What was he doing, cowering like an Adjucas before the power of a Vasto Lorde? Hadn't a chance to prove his prowess, like this one, been what he wanted? Yes, he admitted to himself, but _not_ involving whatever that gas had been. It was like a flashback, a nightmare, and his worst fears all wrapped up in a neat little package and exploded inside his head.

"I'll handle 'em, sir," Grimmjow said, stepping forward and taking each man's collar in hand, powerful arms suspending them above the ground.

Ichigo only gave him a glance and smiled, glad to see him back in full form. "Alright then, General. I'll handle these," he gestured to the needles.

Grimmjow nodded and promptly went to literally throw the scientists out of the city. Being in soul form, he easily tracked where they had come in- an enormous hole spanning nearly fifty feet across, and at _least_ a hundred feet down with natural-looking depressions and folds everywhere. So this must be the 'sinkhole' Ichigo had spoken of… no wonder he'd been so irritated. He didn't bother with the installed stairs, probably there for the human's convenience, and instead leapt from one dirt outcropping to another and deposited his cargo on the rough stone road up above. He also added a note using one of their notepads and a pencil in his slightly wobbly kanji that they, and all other humans except Nate, were very much not allowed to attend Hybrid Council ever again until further notice. Further, any human that snuck in, or rather tried, would be harshly ejected. After thinking a moment, he added onto the end of that punishment that they would also be banned from the city, like these men were.

Ichigo, meanwhile, had gathered up the needles, capped them, and put them safely away to be properly disposed of later. When his General returned, all the windows were open to air out what was left of the gas, and he was sitting on the dais at the front of the room, where speakers would stand to present their case or argument to be discussed. He was looking around at all the unconscious hybrids, enforcer and otherwise, when Grimmjow took a seat beside him, and it was with a gusty sigh he turned to face his right hand man and tactical planner. "So what now?"

Grimmjow looked at the assembly. "Wait fer 'em ta wake up, I s'pose."

"And after that?"

"Explain wha' happened."

"…Then what?"

"Then, my King, I propose we go bathe somewhere an' have a lil' discussion of our own tha' ends with somebody suckin' cock."


End file.
